Plant Soil Environ., 2024, 70(7):438-453 | DOI: 10.17221/490/2023-PSE

Adjusting the sowing date of fresh maize to promote grain filling, key starch synthesis enzymes, and yieldOriginal Paper

Lin An1, Hailong Wei1, Yi Cheng1, Jun Zou2, Jin Zuo3, Dailing Liu1, Bi Song1
1 Key Lab of Molecular Breeding for Grain and Oil Crops in Guizhou Province, Key Lab of Functional Agriculture of Guizhou Provincial Higher Education Institutions, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, P.R. China
2 Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, P.R. China
3 Institute of Mountain Environment and Climatology of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, P.R. China

Clarifying the effects of meteorological factors on the growth and development of fresh maize after delayed sowing is important for selecting appropriate sowing dates and improving yield. Six sowing dates (B1 (March 10); B2 (March 20); B3 (March 30); B4 (April 9); B5 (April 19), and B6 (April 29)) and three fresh maize cultivars (A1 (Wan Nuo 2000); A2 (Nongke Nuo 336), and A3 (Caitian Nuo 6)) were chosen for experiments conducted between 2021 and 2022 in Guiyang, Qingzhen City, China. The results showed that the whole growth period and sowing-silking period were significantly reduced with delayed sowing, while the grain-filling period was relatively stable. Delayed sowing was beneficial in increasing the number of endosperm cells and the weight of the hundred kernels. The graining filling rate and the activities of four key starch synthesis enzymes (sucrose synthase, ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, starch branching enzyme, and starch debranching enzyme) were significantly influenced by light, temperature, and precipitation, and they mainly affected the hundred kernel weight. The yield tended to increase with delayed sowing, and the correlation analysis between precipitation and yield at different sowing periods showed a significant effect of precipitation on yield. Delaying the sowing to mid-early April was more favourable for grain filling, enhanced key enzyme activity, and increased the kernel weight and yield. These results highlight the importance of choosing excellent cultivars and matching them with the most suitable sowing date to fully exploit climatic resources and achieve high-yield and high-efficiency cultivation of fresh maize.

Keywords: sweet-waxy maize; climate change; Zea mays L.; grain filling characteristics; enzymatic activity

Received: December 14, 2023; Revised: April 25, 2024; Accepted: April 29, 2024; Prepublished online: May 23, 2024; Published: June 27, 2024  Show citation

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An L, Wei H, Cheng Y, Zou J, Zuo J, Liu D, Song B. Adjusting the sowing date of fresh maize to promote grain filling, key starch synthesis enzymes, and yield. Plant Soil Environ. 2024;70(7):438-453. doi: 10.17221/490/2023-PSE.
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