Physiological N response of field-grown maize hybrids (Zea mays L.) with divergent yield potential and grain protein concentration

By M. Uribelarrea, S. Crafts-Brandner, F. Below. Plant and Soil, 2009

120 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Fertilizer N availability impacts photosynthesis and crop performance, although cause–effect relationships are not well established, especially for field-grown plants. Our objective was to determine the relationship between N supply and photosynthetic capacity estimated by leaf area index (LAI) and single leaf photosynthesis using genetically diverse field-grown maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids. We compared a high yield potential commercial hybrid (FR1064 x LH185) and an experimental hybrid (FR1064 x IHP) with low yield potential but exceptionally high grain protein concentration. Plant biomass and physiological traits were measured at tassel emergence (VT) and at the grain milk stage (R3) to assess the effects of N supply on photosynthetic source capacity and N uptake, and grain yield and grain N were measured at maturity. Grain yield of FR1064 x LH185 was much greater than FR1064 x IHP even though plant biomass and LAI were larger for FR1064 x IHP, and single leaf photosynthesis was similar for both hybrids. Although photosynthetic capacity was not related to hybrid differences in productivity, increasing N supply led to proportional increases in grain yield, plant biomass, LAI, photosynthesis, and Rubisco and PEP carboxylase activities for both hybrids. Thus, a positive relationship between photosynthetic capacity and yield was revealed by hybrid response to N supply, and the relationship was similar for hybrids with a marked difference in yield potential. For both hybrids the N response of single leaf CER and initial Rubisco activity was negative when expressed per unit of leaf N. In contrast, PEP carboxylase activity per unit leaf N increased in response to N availability, indicating that PEP carboxylase served as a reservoir for excess N accumulation in field-grown maize leaves. The correlation between CER and initial Rubisco activity was highly significant when expressed on a leaf area or a total leaf basis. The results suggest that regardless of genotypic yield potential, maize CER, and potentially grain yield, could be improved by increasing the partitioning of N into Rubisco.

Subfields: Agronomy and Crop Science, Plant Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/f143d76626c4a58ee6f4fb6d3f3c113798cebc04

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Citations in the corpus

A comprehensive study of plant density consequences on nitrogen uptake dynamics of maize plants from vegetative to reproductive stages (2011, background): “Substantial genetic ariability for adaptation to low and high soil N supply was also Research 121 (2011) 2–18 3 observed in other research (Paponov and Engels, 2003; Paponov et al., 2005; Uribelarrea et al., 2007, 2009).”
Agronomic use efficiency of N fertilizer in maize-based systems in sub-Saharan Africa within the context of integrated soil fertility management (2011, background): “…in a 15-year study in the USA while rain-fed maize had N-AE values of 18 and 11 kg (kg N) − 1 for fertilizer application rates of 56 and 112 kg N ha − 1 , respectively (Uribelarrea et al. 2009). xIn India, N-AE of 19.5 kg (kg N) − 1 was observed for sole N applied in Prasat India (Roberts 2008).”
Shoot growth potential drives N uptake in maize plants and correlates with root growth in the soil (2010, background): “006 activities involved inNmetabolismwithin leaves, stover and cob at different periods of plant development (Seebauer et al., 2004; Hirel et al., 2005a, 2005b; Uribelarrea et al., 2009).”