Abstract
Context For a long time, the ultimate objective in arid and semi-arid agricultural production areas has been to optimize yield while ensuring efficient utilization of agricultural water resources . This objective can be realized through a judicious integration of dense planting and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI). Currently, it is not clear how these two agronomic measures regulate maize yield by affecting root-shoot coordination. Objective This study aimed to examine the impacts of planting density (PD) and RDI on leaf area index (LAI), fractional interception of photosynthetically active radiation (FIPAR), radiation use efficiency (RUE), root growth , dry matter distribution, root-shoot ratio (RSR), water productivity (WP), nitrogen partial factor productivity (PFPN), and maize yield. Elucidated the relationship between soil water content (SWC) and root development within different soil layers and to quantify how root characteristics correlate with WUE and yield. Methods: A two-year field trial (2020–2021) was conducted on Xianyu 335 for this study. Set two PD treatments (D1: 70,000 plants/ha, D2: 90,000 plants/ha) and three water treatments, (W1: full irrigation, W2: mild water deficit 2/3W1, W3: moderate water deficit 1/2W1). Results Dense planting significantly increased the LAI of the population. The FIPAR and RUE of the middle canopy were enhanced, optimizing the canopy structure. Under the D2 treatment, a greater distribution of roots occurred in the topsoil (0–20 cm). Sufficient water availability augmented both the proportion of root mass and the absorption area in deeper soil, thereby promoting the accumulation of dry matter above ground. The RSR decreased with increasing water stress. Under the D2W2 treatment, a positive correlation was observed between SWC and root characteristics across all soil layers, particularly at depths of 60–100 cm. This suggests that moderate water stress application improves water utilization by roots in the deeper soil. Over the two growing seasons , D2W1 resulted in the highest yield and PFPN. Although the yield under the D2W2 treatment decreased marginally by approximately 2.43–3.90 % compared to D2W1, this treatment significantly enhanced WUE (2020: 11.80 %, 2021: 14.29 %) and middle canopy RUE (2020: 13.85 %, 2021: 17.07 %). Conclusions and implications D2W2 is a planting pattern suitable for maize production in Northwest China (NWC). This approach promotes root-shoot coordination and enhances the use of soil moisture by the root system .
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by-nc-nd. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Dense planting significantly increased leaf area index.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Dense planting significantly increased the LAI of the population.”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Dense planting enhanced middle-canopy fractional interception and radiation use efficiency.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The FIPAR and RUE of the middle canopy were enhanced, optimizing the canopy structure.”
e1“Dense planting significantly increased the LAI of the population.”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
D2 increased the proportion of roots in topsoil.
- Organ / stage
- rootse0
- Treatment
- D2e0
- Outcome
- distribution of rootse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Qualifier
- topsoil (0–20 cm)e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under the D2 treatment, a greater distribution of roots occurred in the topsoil (0–20 cm).”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Sufficient water increased deep root mass and absorption area.
- Treatment
- Sufficient water availabilitye0
- Outcome
- proportion of root mass and the absorption area in deeper soile0
- Direction
- augmentede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Sufficient water availability augmented both the proportion of root mass and the absorption area in deeper soil, thereby promoting the accumulation of dry matter above ground.”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Sufficient water promoted aboveground dry matter accumulation.
- Treatment
- Sufficient water availabilitye0
- Outcome
- accumulation of dry matter above grounde0
- Direction
- promotinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Sufficient water availability augmented both the proportion of root mass and the absorption area in deeper soil, thereby promoting the accumulation of dry matter above ground.”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Root-shoot ratio declined with increasing water stress.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The RSR decreased with increasing water stress.”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Under D2W2, soil water content and root characteristics correlated positively, particularly at 60–100 cm.
- Treatment
- D2W2e0
- Outcome
- root characteristicse0
- Direction
- positive correlatione0
- Qualifier
- particularly at depths of 60–100 cme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under the D2W2 treatment, a positive correlation was observed between SWC and root characteristics across all soil layers, particularly at depths of 60–100 cm.”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
D2W1 had the highest yield and nitrogen partial factor productivity over two seasons.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Over the two growing seasons , D2W1 resulted in the highest yield and PFPN.”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
D2W2 yield was approximately 2.43–3.90 % below D2W1.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Although the yield under the D2W2 treatment decreased marginally by approximately 2.43–3.90 % compared to D2W1”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
D2W2 significantly increased water use efficiency by 11.80 % in 2020 and 14.29 % in 2021.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“this treatment significantly enhanced WUE (2020: 11.80 %, 2021: 14.29 %) and middle canopy RUE (2020: 13.85 %, 2021: 17.07 %)”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
D2W2 significantly increased middle canopy radiation use efficiency by 13.85 % in 2020 and 17.07 % in 2021.
- Treatment
- this treatmente0
- Outcome
- middle canopy RUEe0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 13.85 %e0
- Qualifier
- 2021: 17.07 %e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“this treatment significantly enhanced WUE (2020: 11.80 %, 2021: 14.29 %) and middle canopy RUE (2020: 13.85 %, 2021: 17.07 %)”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors recommend D2W2 for maize production in Northwest China.
- Outcome
- D2W2 is a planting pattern suitable for maize production in Northwest China (NWC)e0
- Setting
- Northwest Chinae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“D2W2 is a planting pattern suitable for maize production in Northwest China (NWC).”
The same questions in other papers
soil water · growth · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
18 papers in the same direction as this paper · 23 in the opposite direction
- negative
- negative
- no effect
38 papers more in this group
See all 42 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.