The yield of short-season hybrids is lower than long-season hybrids, mainly as a result of the low final leaf area developed by the short-season plants. This is due to the smaller plant stature and smaller leaf number and size of short-season adapted hybrids. In addition, in short-season areas the thermal-time available may be insufficient to mature grain of current maize hybrids. Maize hybrids which accumulate leaf area quickly, mature earlier, yield well and tolerate higher population densities better than the currently available hybrids would be more suitable for production in short-season areas. The "Leafy reduced-stature" maize hybrids, which have only recently been developed, have traits which address these criteria. There has been no previous effort to evaluate the effects of more than two plant population densities or the effects of planting patterns on the yield, yield components and vegetative growth of these hybrids. in 1995, field experiments were conducted at two sites near Montreal to compare the response of leafy reduced-stature (LRS), non-leafy normal stature (NLNS), and non-leafy reduced-stature (NLRS) maize hybrids to plant population densities and planting patterns. LRS maize hybrids showed the most rapid growth of the first ear, and the highest yield per single plant and per hectare at high plant population densities in paired rows. LRS hybrids also had longer grain filling periods, lower grain moisture contents and higher harvest indices than conventional (NLNS) hybrids. Rapid growth of the first ear and a higher harvest index are indications that LRS hybrids should be more tolerant of higher population densities than currently available hybrids. Therefore, LRS hybrids show promise for production in short-season areas at high plant population densities where maize cultivation is not currently economical due to shortness of the growing-season.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.27278 |
| Date | January 1996 |
| Creators | Begna, Sultan Hussein. |
| Contributors | Smith, D. L. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Plant Science.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001556205, proquestno: MQ29652, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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