Abstract
Improving the development of inferior grains is important for increasing maize yield under high-density conditions. However, the effect of micronutrients, especially zinc (Zn), on the development of inferior grains and maize yield under field conditions has not been evaluated to date. A field experiment with six Zn application rates (0, 2.3, 5.7, 11.4, 22.7, and 34.1 kg/ha) was conducted to investigate the effects of soil application of Zn fertilizer on the development of inferior grains. Pollen viability was measured at the tasseling stage. The maize spike was divided into apical (inferior grain), middle, and basal sections for further measurement at harvest. Results showed that soil application of Zn fertilizer increased maize yield by 4.2-16.7% due to increased kernel number and weight in the apical, but not in the middle and basal sections. Zn application also significantly increased pollen viability at the tasseling stage. The critical Zn concentrations in shoots at the tasseling stage for obtaining high pollen viability and high kernel numbers of inferior grains were 31.2 and 35.6 mg/kg, respectively. Zn application also increased the 1,000-kernel weight of inferior grain due to high biomass accumulation. Furthermore, the grain Zn concentration of inferior grain with Zn application increased by 24.3-74.9% compared with no Zn application. Thus, soil application of Zn fertilizer successfully increased grain yield of maize by improving pollen viability, kernel number, and kernel weight of inferior grains (apical section), also contributing to grain Zn biofortification.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Soil Zn fertilizer increased maize yield by 4.2-16.7%.
- Treatment
- soil application of Zn fertilizere0
- Outcome
- maize yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 4.2-16.7%e0
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soil application of Zn fertilizer increased maize yield by 4.2-16.7% due to increased kernel number and weight in the apical, but not in the middle and basal sections.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Zn fertilizer increased kernel number in the apical section.
- Organ / stage
- apicale0
- Treatment
- soil application of Zn fertilizere0
- Outcome
- kernel numbere0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soil application of Zn fertilizer increased maize yield by 4.2-16.7% due to increased kernel number and weight in the apical, but not in the middle and basal sections.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Zn fertilizer increased kernel weight in the apical section but not in middle and basal sections.
- Organ / stage
- apicale0
- Treatment
- soil application of Zn fertilizere0
- Outcome
- kernel weighte1
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- but not in the middle and basal sectionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soil application of Zn fertilizer increased maize yield by 4.2-16.7% due to increased kernel number and weight in the apical, but not in the middle and basal sections.”
e1“Zn application also increased the 1,000-kernel weight of inferior grain due to high biomass accumulation.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Zn application significantly increased pollen viability at tasseling.
- Organ / stage
- tasseling stagee0
- Treatment
- Zn applicatione0
- Outcome
- pollen viabilitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Zn application also significantly increased pollen viability at the tasseling stage.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The critical shoot Zn concentration for high pollen viability was 31.2 mg/kg at tasseling.
- Organ / stage
- shoots at the tasseling stagee0
- Outcome
- high pollen viabilitye0
- Value
- 31.2 and 35.6 mg/kge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The critical Zn concentrations in shoots at the tasseling stage for obtaining high pollen viability and high kernel numbers of inferior grains were 31.2 and 35.6 mg/kg, respectively.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The critical shoot Zn concentration for high inferior-grain kernel numbers was 35.6 mg/kg at tasseling.
- Organ / stage
- shoots at the tasseling stagee0
- Outcome
- high kernel numbers of inferior grainse0
- Value
- 35.6 mg/kge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The critical Zn concentrations in shoots at the tasseling stage for obtaining high pollen viability and high kernel numbers of inferior grains were 31.2 and 35.6 mg/kg, respectively.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Zn application increased 1,000-kernel weight of inferior grain through high biomass accumulation.
- Treatment
- Zn applicatione0
- Outcome
- 1,000-kernel weight of inferior graine0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- high biomass accumulatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Zn application also increased the 1,000-kernel weight of inferior grain due to high biomass accumulation.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Zn application raised inferior-grain Zn concentration by 24.3-74.9% relative to no Zn application.
- Treatment
- Zn applicatione0
- Outcome
- grain Zn concentration of inferior graine0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 24.3-74.9%e0
- Comparator
- no Zn applicatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the grain Zn concentration of inferior grain with Zn application increased by 24.3-74.9% compared with no Zn application.”
t0“Maize”
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