Maize prolificacy: a source of reproductive plasticity that contributes to yield stability when plant population varies in drought-prone environments

Reproductive plasticity, the ability of the plant to maintain the ratio between available resources and grain yield should be a useful trait to maintain the coupling between yield and resource availability under low-density management strategies adopted in drought-prone areas. Prolificacy could be a...

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Main Authors: Ross, Fernando, Di Matteo, Javier, Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro
Format: Artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378429019311244
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/6598
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2019.107699
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author Ross, Fernando
Di Matteo, Javier
Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro
author_browse Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro
Di Matteo, Javier
Ross, Fernando
author_facet Ross, Fernando
Di Matteo, Javier
Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro
author_sort Ross, Fernando
collection INTA Digital
description Reproductive plasticity, the ability of the plant to maintain the ratio between available resources and grain yield should be a useful trait to maintain the coupling between yield and resource availability under low-density management strategies adopted in drought-prone areas. Prolificacy could be an indicator of hybrid reproductive plasticity. The objective of this study was to assess the reproductive plasticity of modern prolific and non-prolific hybrids and its effect on grain yield and yield components in a drought-prone environment. Current hybrids of contrasting prolificacy were tested in shallow soil under different plant densities (2 to 6 pl m–2). Crops explored low productivity environments (average 5930 kg ha–1) and yield response to plant density was different between prolificacy groups. At 4 pl m–2 yield was similar between prolific and non-prolific hybrid groups. Prolificacy determined an increase in reproductive plasticity that significantly reduced the yield response to plant density. When plant density was reduced to 2 pl m–2 yield was maintained for the prolific hybrids while it was reduced more than 25% for the non-prolific ones. The reproductive plasticity of prolific hybrids was associated with an increased capacity of adjusting kernel number to available resources per plant. On the other hand, the increased reproductive plasticity of prolific hybrids did not present detectable yield penalties when plants were grown under stressful conditions (6 pl m–2). The lack of response to plant density of prolific hybrids could be interpreted as a reduction in the yield penalty of low-density management strategies. The reduction in plant density increases the ability of the crop to tolerate drought stress and therefore should increases yield stability in drought-prone areas.
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institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
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spelling INTA65982020-01-02T13:22:08Z Maize prolificacy: a source of reproductive plasticity that contributes to yield stability when plant population varies in drought-prone environments Ross, Fernando Di Matteo, Javier Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro Maíz Plasticidad Rendimiento Estrés de Sequia Espaciamiento Maize Plasticity Yields Drought Stress Spacing Densidad de Plantación Reproductive plasticity, the ability of the plant to maintain the ratio between available resources and grain yield should be a useful trait to maintain the coupling between yield and resource availability under low-density management strategies adopted in drought-prone areas. Prolificacy could be an indicator of hybrid reproductive plasticity. The objective of this study was to assess the reproductive plasticity of modern prolific and non-prolific hybrids and its effect on grain yield and yield components in a drought-prone environment. Current hybrids of contrasting prolificacy were tested in shallow soil under different plant densities (2 to 6 pl m–2). Crops explored low productivity environments (average 5930 kg ha–1) and yield response to plant density was different between prolificacy groups. At 4 pl m–2 yield was similar between prolific and non-prolific hybrid groups. Prolificacy determined an increase in reproductive plasticity that significantly reduced the yield response to plant density. When plant density was reduced to 2 pl m–2 yield was maintained for the prolific hybrids while it was reduced more than 25% for the non-prolific ones. The reproductive plasticity of prolific hybrids was associated with an increased capacity of adjusting kernel number to available resources per plant. On the other hand, the increased reproductive plasticity of prolific hybrids did not present detectable yield penalties when plants were grown under stressful conditions (6 pl m–2). The lack of response to plant density of prolific hybrids could be interpreted as a reduction in the yield penalty of low-density management strategies. The reduction in plant density increases the ability of the crop to tolerate drought stress and therefore should increases yield stability in drought-prone areas. EEA Barrow Fil: Ross, Fernando. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Barrow; Argentina Fil: Di Matteo, Javier. Universidad Nacional de Mar Del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Cerrudo, Anibal Alejandro. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina 2020-01-02T13:20:19Z 2020-01-02T13:20:19Z 2020-02 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378429019311244 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/6598 0378-4290 1872-6852 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2019.107699 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf Elsevier Field Crops Research 247 : 107699 (February 2020)
spellingShingle Maíz
Plasticidad
Rendimiento
Estrés de Sequia
Espaciamiento
Maize
Plasticity
Yields
Drought Stress
Spacing
Densidad de Plantación
Ross, Fernando
Di Matteo, Javier
Cerrudo, Aníbal Alejandro
Maize prolificacy: a source of reproductive plasticity that contributes to yield stability when plant population varies in drought-prone environments
title Maize prolificacy: a source of reproductive plasticity that contributes to yield stability when plant population varies in drought-prone environments
title_full Maize prolificacy: a source of reproductive plasticity that contributes to yield stability when plant population varies in drought-prone environments
title_fullStr Maize prolificacy: a source of reproductive plasticity that contributes to yield stability when plant population varies in drought-prone environments
title_full_unstemmed Maize prolificacy: a source of reproductive plasticity that contributes to yield stability when plant population varies in drought-prone environments
title_short Maize prolificacy: a source of reproductive plasticity that contributes to yield stability when plant population varies in drought-prone environments
title_sort maize prolificacy a source of reproductive plasticity that contributes to yield stability when plant population varies in drought prone environments
topic Maíz
Plasticidad
Rendimiento
Estrés de Sequia
Espaciamiento
Maize
Plasticity
Yields
Drought Stress
Spacing
Densidad de Plantación
url https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378429019311244
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/6598
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2019.107699
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AT cerrudoanibalalejandro maizeprolificacyasourceofreproductiveplasticitythatcontributestoyieldstabilitywhenplantpopulationvariesindroughtproneenvironments