Prohexadione-Calcium and Nitrogen Topdressing Fertilisation on Productive Performance of Maize with Late Sowing

Abstract

Background:The growing use of nitrogen topdressing fertilisation, combined with late sowing of maize crops, causes greater sensitivity to lodging and breaking of plant stems, and poses risks to yield and grain quality. Thus, plant growth retardants are currently an option to mitigate losses resulting from adverse effects. Aims: The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of using the plant growth retardant prohexadione-calcium (Pro.Ca) in response to application of different nitrogen levels on morphometric and productive characteristics of maize after late sowing. Study Design: The experiment used a randomized block design (RBD) with four replications.

Agronomic performance of mayze hybrids under application of prohexadione-calcium and nitrogen topdressing

“…Nitrogen influence on traits such as NGE and TGW is also depicted, contributing to increased protein percentage and in ear weight gain, providing higher yields (Lange et al, 2014). Based on the observations regarding the number of grains per ear and thousand grains weight Pinheiro et al (2018) observed no significant difference between treatments with ProCa, however, the phytoregulator at a dose of 200 g i.a. ha -1 provided a 7% increase when compared to the control (0 g i.a.…”

“…According to Rademacher (2016) the ProCa molecule alone or in association with other phytoregulators inhibiting gibberellin biosynthesis currently represents the best technical solutions for controlling vegetative growth and plant lodging. Its use has already been tested on Oryza sativa L. (Na et al, 2011), Triticum aestivum L. (Stefen et al, 2014), Linum usitatissimum L. (Kim et al, 2018), and Zea mays L. (Pinheiro et al, 2018;Carneiro Junior et al, 2021).…”

Mode of physiological activity of acylcyclohexadione retardants

“…Prohexadione-Ca and trinexapac-ethyl (Benetoli da Silva et al, 2011) are used to strengthen the structure of the wheat stem by reducing plant height and increasing the wall diameter (Matysiak, 2006;Simmons et al, 2017), which leads to increased plant productivity (Pricinotto et al, 2015;Trethewey et al, 2016;Koch et al, 2017a;Pinheiro et al, 2018). Timely use of retardants can help increase wheat yields by redistributing dry matter at moderate levels of lodging (Shekoofa & Emam, 2008).…”

“…Prohexadione-Ca, like trinexapac-ethyl, is widely used to control the vegetative growth of plants, which prevents lodging and helps maintain plant productivity (Na et al, 2011;Pinheiro et al, 2018), accelerates harvesting. The use of growth inhibitors can increase grain yield not only by reducing lodging, but also by increasing the absorption of solar radiation, changing stem diameter, leaf size and stimulating root growth (Pricinotto et al, 2015), as well as erectility of plants and leaves (Virych et al, 2012).…”