Abstract
Summary Previous work has shown a strong relationship between the mean soil temperature during the first 5 weeks of growth of a maize crop, and the final grain yield, warmer soils leading to greater yields. Trials were laid down in 1975 and 1976 to establish how early in the development of a maize crop higher soil temperatures would lead to increased yields. Soil temperatures were raised by polythene mulching applied at planting with six times of mulch removal: at crop emergence, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks after emergence. Raised soil temperature led to a greater rate of development and leaf area production during early growth. Greater leaf area was due to greater leaf emergence rate rather than increase in leaf size, since increase in soil temperature was associated with a decrease in individual leaf size. This trend was reversed from leaf number 15 onwards resulting in no differences in leaf area, leaf weight or total dry matter at tasselling. In spite of this, yield differences were observed. Increase in soil temperature during germination alone had a beneficial effect on final grain yield, and this effect increased with duration. Increasing soil temperature for longer than 3–4 weeks from emergence caused no further yield increase. Yields increased from 133 and 172 g/ plant to 220 and 238 g/plant in 1975 and 1976 respectively. Yield increases were associated with more grains per plant rather than greater grain size. The period during which increased soil temperature led to increased yields coincided with the period when the apical meristem was below ground level. The mechanism involved is not yet clear.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Raising soil temperature with polythene mulch gave a greater rate of development and more leaf area production in maize during early growth.
- Treatment
- Raised soil temperaturee0
- Outcome
- rate of development and leaf area productione0
- Direction
- greatere0
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“Raised soil temperature led to a greater rate of development and leaf area production during early growth”
Claim · model-written summary
The greater leaf area at higher soil temperature was due to a greater leaf emergence rate rather than larger leaves.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“Greater leaf area was due to greater leaf emergence rate rather than increase in leaf size”
Claim · model-written summary
Increase in soil temperature was associated with a decrease in individual leaf size in maize.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“increase in soil temperature was associated with a decrease in individual leaf size”
Claim · model-written summary
After the early trend reversed from leaf number 15 onwards, maize showed no differences in leaf area, leaf weight or total dry matter at tasselling.
- Outcome
- leaf area, leaf weight or total dry matter at tassellinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“resulting in no differences in leaf area, leaf weight or total dry matter at tasselling”
Claim · model-written summary
Raising soil temperature during germination alone benefited final grain yield, and the benefit increased with the duration of the increase.
- Treatment
- Increase in soil temperature during germination alonee0
- Outcome
- final grain yielde0
- Direction
- increaseinferrede0
- Qualifier
- this effect increased with duratione0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“Increase in soil temperature during germination alone had a beneficial effect on final grain yield, and this effect increased with duration”
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing soil temperature for longer than 3-4 weeks from emergence caused no further yield increase.
- Treatment
- Increasing soil temperature for longer than 3–4 weeks from emergencee0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- no further yield increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“Increasing soil temperature for longer than 3–4 weeks from emergence caused no further yield increase”
Claim · model-written summary
Yield (raised soil temperature trial) increased from 133 to 220 g/plant in 1975.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“Yields increased from 133 and 172 g/ plant to 220 and 238 g/plant in 1975 and 1976 respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Yield (raised soil temperature trial) increased from 172 to 238 g/plant in 1976.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“Yields increased from 133 and 172 g/ plant to 220 and 238 g/plant in 1975 and 1976 respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Yield increases were associated with more grains per plant rather than greater grain size.
- Outcome
- more grains per plant rather than greater grain sizee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“Yield increases were associated with more grains per plant rather than greater grain size”
Claim · model-written summary
The period in which increased soil temperature increased yields coincided with the period when the apical meristem was below ground level.
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“The period during which increased soil temperature led to increased yields coincided with the period when the apical meristem was below ground level”
The same questions in other papers
processing · yield · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
38 papers in the same direction as this paper · 14 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- no effect
50 papers more in this group
See all 54 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.