Growth, water productivity, nutritive value, and physiology responses of silage corn to water stress

Abstract

Water is a crucial factor affecting expression of crop yield potential. A field experiment was conducted during 2014 and 2015 to determine the effect of limited water on growth, yield, water productivity (WP), nutritive value, and physiological parameters of silage corn (Zea mays L.) grown in a semi-arid region. Hybrid 'P8107HR' was planted in replicated plots under 100ETc (100% crop evapotranspiration), 80ETc, 60ETc, and limited 100ETc (100ETc from planting to V9, no water from V9 to R3, then 100ETc again) managed with a surface drip irrigation. Canopy height, leaf area index (LAI), specific leaf area (SLA), biomass yield, WP, and nutritive value were determined. Photosynthesis (A), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration (E), and intrinsic WP (iWP) were obtained with an infrared gas analyzer from V14 to R2 stages. Relative water content (RWC) of leaves was determined at V8, V12, VT, and R3 stages. Results showed that canopy height and biomass yield were greatly affected by water stress. Biomass yield decreased by 40% in the limited 100ETc treatment compared to 100ETc, with no effect of irrigation on nutritive value. Water-stressed plants from V14 to R2 were affected in their ability to perform gas exchange and exhibited changes in crop growth and biomass yield. RWC was affected by water stress, mostly under 60ETc at V8 (71%) and VT (78%). Overall, limited water at late vegetative and early reproductive stages affected physiology and yield of silage corn, indicating that irrigation timing is a key factor for optimizing silage corn production in water-scarce regions.

A novel framework for three-dimensional electrical impedance tomography reconstruction of maize ear via feature reconfiguration and residual networks

“…During the growth of maize, a series of physical, physiological, and biochemical changes occur, and then the spatial distribution of the moisture content of an intact maize ear serves as a crucial determinant of the physiological status and growth of the plant ( Clark et al, 1997 ; Wang et al, 2019 ; Nilahyane et al, 2020 ). Fortunately, the electrical impedance spectrum of the maize ear has a favorable correlation with its moisture content; thus, the change in its moisture content can be reflected by the electrical impedance distribution ( Zhao et al, 2015 ; Li et al, 2022 ).…”

Use of Thermography to Evaluate Alternative Crops for Off-Season in the Cerrado Region

“…In the second harvest, corn (Zea mays) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) are predominant [1]. However, the literature shows the high susceptibility of both crops to water deficit that causes a reduction in their productivity [2,3]. Thus, the study of different crops to evaluate the most tolerant crops to periods of water deficiency, as well as the knowledge of the plant mechanisms used to tolerate prolonged periods of drought, is useful for the maintenance of agricultural production in the Cerrado during the off-season period.…”

Field and in-silico analysis of harvest index variability in maize silage

“…Crop growth, phenology, and yield are also affected by genetics ( Barlow et al., 2012 ; Borreani et al., 2018 ; Gruber et al., 2018 ), environmental ( Bernardes et al., 2018 ), and management factors ( Nilahyane et al., 2020 ; Petković et al., 2022 ). For the latter, the inputs of nitrogen (N) fertiliser and water have the greatest economic and environmental impact with regards to maize production ( Petković et al., 2022 ).…”

“…For the latter, the inputs of nitrogen (N) fertiliser and water have the greatest economic and environmental impact with regards to maize production ( Petković et al., 2022 ). Optimal irrigation of maize crops can increase biomass partitioning to grain ( Li et al., 2020 ) and the management of irrigation and N (defined by rate and timing) can affect dry matter allocation to different parts of the plant, and, therefore, maize silage nutritive value ( Nilahyane et al., 2020 ; Zhou et al., 2021 ). Maize silage of high quality can result in a feed ingredient with a high recovery of dry matter, energy, and highly digestible nutrients compared with the fresh crop ( Kung et al., 2018 ).…”

“…However, maize yield (grain and total plant) and climatic conditions can vary greatly both spatially and temporally ( Khalili et al., 2013 ; Nilahyane et al., 2020 ). Thus, predictive tools that provide a quantification of the variability in the grain proportion relative to biomass, i.e., the ratio between grain yield and aboveground biomass (HI) of maize crops grown for silage, are urgently required.…”