Abstract
In tillering Gramineae species, leaf-area growth at higher plant densities is limited because no higher-order tillers are formed. This paper analyses the mechanisms of density-related reduced leaf area per plant in non-tillering maize (Zea mays L.).Maize crops with a wide range of plant densities were grown in the field for two years. Half of the plots were shaded (50% transmittance). Detailed measurements of leaf appearance, leaf size, and dry weights of leaves and other plant organs were made. Data were analysed using standard crop-ecological growth functions.Leaf-appearance rates were lower at higher plant densities and under shade. These effects were not caused by the small differences in canopy temperature observed, but closely associated with reductions in the growth rate per individual plant. Leaf length was higher under shade than with full light; effects of plant density on leaf length were inconsistent over the two years, associated with inconsistent effects on leaf-elongation rate. Leaf-elongation duration was longer at higher plant densities in both experimental years.The crop-ecological analysis showed that plant density affected leaf-area expansion of maize mainly through effects on leaf-appearance rates, and that these effects were closely related to density effects on plant-growth rate per leaf-appearance interval.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf-appearance rates of maize were lower at higher plant densities.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“non-tillering maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“Leaf-appearance rates were lower at higher plant densities and under shade”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf-appearance rates of maize were lower under shade.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“non-tillering maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“Leaf-appearance rates were lower at higher plant densities and under shade”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize leaf length was higher under shade than with full light.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“non-tillering maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“Leaf length was higher under shade than with full light”
Claim · model-written summary
Effects of plant density on maize leaf length were inconsistent over the two years, associated with inconsistent effects on leaf-elongation rate.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“non-tillering maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“effects of plant density on leaf length were inconsistent over the two years”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf-elongation duration in maize was longer at higher plant densities in both experimental years.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“non-tillering maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“Leaf-elongation duration was longer at higher plant densities in both experimental years”
Claim · model-written summary
The reduced leaf-appearance rates were not caused by the small differences in canopy temperature observed.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“non-tillering maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“These effects were not caused by the small differences in canopy temperature observed”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant density affected maize leaf-area expansion mainly through effects on leaf-appearance rates, which were closely related to density effects on plant-growth rate per leaf-appearance interval.
- Treatment
- plant densitye1
- Outcome
- leaf-area expansione1
- Qualifier
- mainly through effects on leaf-appearance ratese1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“non-tillering maize (Zea mays L.)”
e1“plant density affected leaf-area expansion of maize mainly through effects on leaf-appearance rates”