Abstract
Corn (maize, Zea mays L.) hybrids expressing the flexibility trait in ear size (number of kernels per ear) are marketed for ability to give higher yields under adverse conditions. Altered kernel number is associated with altered number of silk, a major route for infection of kernels by aflatoxin-producing fungi such as Aspergillus flavus. The effect of plant density and irrigation level on yield and accumulation of aflatoxins and fumonisins in harvested grain was compared in a fixed-ear hybrid (Pioneer 33K81), a semi-flexible ear hybrid (Pioneer 3223) and a flexible ear hybrid (Golden Acres 8460) over a range of seeding densities (49,400, 61,750, 74,700, 86,450, and 98,800 seeds·ha–1) in non-irrigated, moderately-irrigated (6.4 cm soil water deficit) and well-irrigated plots (3.8 cm soil water deficit), during three years with variable rainfall. Irrigation increased yields in all hybrids, but in the absence of irrigation, yields were highest with the semi-flexible ear trait hybrid. In general, the hybrid with the flexible ear trait had lower optimal seeding densities than the other hybrids for each soil water regime. In general, kernel number was least affected by seeding density in the hybrid with fixed-ear trait compared to the semi- and flexible ear hybrids. The lowest levels of aflatoxin and of fumonisin contamination in harvested grain were associated with the flexible ear trait at all rainfall and irrigation levels, but there was no evidence that reducing stress by lowering seeding density reduced mycotoxin contamination. Inoculation with A. flavus resulted in much higher levels of aflatoxin and significantly higher levels of fumonisin contamination in grain of all hybrids under most conditions of rainfall and irrigation, suggesting that factors that promote A. flavus infection can affect production of both mycotoxins.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation increased yield in all maize hybrids.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Irrigation increased yields in all hybrids”
t0“Maize Hybrids”
Claim · model-written summary
Without irrigation, the semi-flexible ear hybrid had the highest yields.
- Material
- semi-flexible ear trait hybride0
- Outcome
- yieldse0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Qualifier
- absence of irrigatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in the absence of irrigation, yields were highest with the semi-flexible ear trait hybrid”
t0“Maize Hybrids”
Claim · model-written summary
The flexible-ear hybrid had lower optimal seeding densities than the other hybrids across soil water regimes.
- Material
- hybrid with the flexible ear traite0
- Outcome
- optimal seeding densitiese0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- the other hybridse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the hybrid with the flexible ear trait had lower optimal seeding densities than the other hybrids for each soil water regime”
t0“Maize Hybrids”
Claim · model-written summary
Kernel number was least affected by seeding density in the fixed-ear hybrid.
- Material
- hybrid with fixed-ear traite0
- Treatment
- seeding densitye0
- Outcome
- kernel numbere0
- Direction
- least affectede0
- Comparator
- semi- and flexible ear hybridse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“kernel number was least affected by seeding density in the hybrid with fixed-ear trait compared to the semi- and flexible ear hybrids”
t0“Maize Hybrids”
Claim · model-written summary
The flexible-ear trait was associated with the lowest aflatoxin contamination at all rainfall and irrigation levels.
- Material
- flexible ear traite0
- Outcome
- aflatoxine0
- Direction
- loweste0
- Qualifier
- at all rainfall and irrigation levelse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The lowest levels of aflatoxin and of fumonisin contamination in harvested grain were associated with the flexible ear trait at all rainfall and irrigation levels”
t0“Maize Hybrids”
Claim · model-written summary
The flexible-ear trait was associated with the lowest fumonisin contamination at all rainfall and irrigation levels.
- Material
- flexible ear traite0
- Outcome
- fumonisin contamination in harvested graine0
- Direction
- loweste0
- Qualifier
- at all rainfall and irrigation levelse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The lowest levels of aflatoxin and of fumonisin contamination in harvested grain were associated with the flexible ear trait at all rainfall and irrigation levels”
t0“Maize Hybrids”
Claim · model-written summary
Lowering seeding density did not show evidence of reducing mycotoxin contamination.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there was no evidence that reducing stress by lowering seeding density reduced mycotoxin contamination”
t0“Maize Hybrids”
Claim · model-written summary
A. flavus inoculation yielded much higher grain aflatoxin levels in all hybrids under most rainfall and irrigation conditions.
- Treatment
- Inoculation with A. flavuse0
- Interactor
- A. flavus
Aspergillus flavuse0pathogen - Outcome
- levels of aflatoxine0
- Direction
- much highere0
- Qualifier
- under most conditions of rainfall and irrigatione0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Inoculation with A. flavus resulted in much higher levels of aflatoxin and significantly higher levels of fumonisin contamination in grain of all hybrids under most conditions of rainfall and irrigation”
t0“Maize Hybrids”
Claim · model-written summary
A. flavus inoculation yielded significantly higher grain fumonisin contamination in all hybrids under most rainfall and irrigation conditions.
- Treatment
- Inoculation with A. flavuse0
- Interactor
- A. flavusAspergillus flavuse0pathogen
- Outcome
- levels of fumonisin contamination in graine0
- Direction
- significantly highere0
- Qualifier
- under most conditions of rainfall and irrigatione0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Inoculation with A. flavus resulted in much higher levels of aflatoxin and significantly higher levels of fumonisin contamination in grain of all hybrids under most conditions of rainfall and irrigation”
t0“Maize Hybrids”
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