Abstract
Potential yield benefits from improving within-row plant spacing variability and plant emergence variability in corn (Zea mays L.) production are often questioned by growers. Research was conducted at two locations in south-central Ontario during a 2-yr period to quantify the effects and interactions of plant spacing variability and plant emergence variability on growth and grain yield of corn. Nine treatments were established by hand planting corn rows with repeating six-plant sequences consisting of uniform and nonuniform spacing, even and uneven emergence, and their combinations. Spacing treatments consisted of (i) uniform within-row plant spacing of 20 cm; (ii) one 40-cm gap associated with a double; and (iii) one 60-cm gap associated with a triple in each six-plant sequence. Emergence treatments included uniform early emergence, a two-leaf stage delay, and a four-leaf stage delay for one plant in each six-plant sequence. Only plant emergence variability significantly affected plant height, leaf area index (LAI), dry matter accumulation, and grain yield. Compared with the uniformly early emerged plants, one out of six plants with a two-leaf stage delay in emergence reduced yield by 4%, and one out of six plants with a four-leaf stage delay reduced yield by 8%. Whereas corn plants next to a gap demonstrated compensatory growth, plants adjacent to a late emerging corn plant did not exhibit compensatory growth. These results indicate that corn is more responsive to plant emergence variability than plant spacing variability. Variation in plant emergence reduced yield, whereas variation in within-row spacing did not affect yield, and interactions between the two factors were not significant.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Emergence variability significantly affected corn height, leaf area index, dry matter accumulation, and grain yield.
- Treatment
- plant emergence variabilitye0
- Outcome
- plant height, leaf area index (LAI), dry matter accumulatione0
Not reportedTaxonComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Only plant emergence variability significantly affected plant height, leaf area index (LAI), dry matter accumulation, and grain yield.”
Claim · model-written summary
A two-leaf emergence delay for one of six plants reduced corn yield by 4% relative to uniform early emergence.
- Treatment
- one out of six plants with a two-leaf stage delay in emergencee0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 4%e0
- Comparator
- uniformly early emerged plantse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Compared with the uniformly early emerged plants, one out of six plants with a two-leaf stage delay in emergence reduced yield by 4%”
Claim · model-written summary
A four-leaf emergence delay for one of six plants reduced corn yield by 8% relative to uniform early emergence.
- Treatment
- one out of six plants with a four-leaf stage delaye0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 8%e0
- Comparator
- uniformly early emerged plantse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Compared with the uniformly early emerged plants, one out of six plants with a two-leaf stage delay in emergence reduced yield by 4%, and one out of six plants with a four-leaf stage delay reduced yield by 8%”
Claim · model-written summary
Corn adjacent to a gap showed compensatory growth.
- Taxon
- corn plants
Zea mays subsp. mayse0 - Outcome
- compensatory growthe0
- Qualifier
- next to a gape0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“corn plants next to a gap demonstrated compensatory growth”
Claim · model-written summary
Corn beside a late-emerging plant showed no compensatory growth.
- Taxon
- corn plantZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Outcome
- compensatory growthe0
- Direction
- did not exhibite0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plants adjacent to a late emerging corn plant did not exhibit compensatory growth”
Claim · model-written summary
Within-row spacing variation did not affect corn yield.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“variation in within-row spacing did not affect yield”
Claim · model-written summary
The interaction between emergence and spacing variability was not significant.
- Outcome
- interactions between the two factorse0
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentDirection
Verbatim
e0“interactions between the two factors were not significant”
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