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Article

Straw Mulching and Weather Conditions Affecting the Trade-Off Between Grain Yield and Agronomic Traits of Maize

by
Kun Du
1,
Zhao Li
2 and
Fadong Li
2,*
1
Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water and Soil Conservation and Environmental Protection, College of Resources and Environment, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, China
2
Shandong Yucheng Agro-Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Yucheng Comprehensive Experiment Station, IGSNRR, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Agronomy 2024, 14(11), 2686; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112686
Submission received: 17 October 2024 / Revised: 6 November 2024 / Accepted: 7 November 2024 / Published: 14 November 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Biosystem and Biological Engineering)
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Abstract

:
Straw mulching (SM) plays an important role in promoting the grain yield (GY) of maize under no-tillage conditions. However, there is still a lack of deep understanding on the interactive impact of SM and weather conditions on agronomic traits and the contributions to GY. This study selected a cornfield in the North China Plain as the research object and set up a straw management experiment, including SM and no straw mulching (NSM). The GY and agronomic traits of maize from 2018 to 2020 were monitored, and the relationship of agronomic traits with GY and the weather conditions were analyzed. The results show that SM promoted maize GY by 20.44%. Straw mulching increased the plant height, ear diameter, and ear height by 8.43%, 1.99%, and 12.65%, respectively. A correlation analysis showed that the ear length and ear height were the main factors affecting maize yield. Ear length was significantly correlated with kernel numbers per ear in SM. Growing degree days, hot dry wind, and air temperature significantly affected kernel numbers per ear and plant growth. This study highlights the contributions of agronomic factors to maize GY under SM and variable weather conditions and is helpful to improve cropland management.

1. Introduction

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important crops in the world [1]. Improving the maize grain yield (GY) is considered extremely important to meet the world’s growing food demand under variable climate change and increasing populations [2,3]. The variations in GY depend on the accumulation and reasonable allocation of photosynthetic products and ear performance [4]. Therefore, plant nutritional growth characteristics (such as plant height and stem diameter) and reproductive organs (ear height, ear length, ear diameter, and kernel numbers per ear) are important factors affecting maize GY [5].
It was suggested that straw mulching (SM) is an effective crop management approach to improve GY [6,7,8,9]. This could be explained by the fact that SM improved crop growth and promoted filling and maturation by reserving soil water and accelerating the nutrient cycle. However, some previous studies suggested that SM decreased the seed emergence rate, increased the risk of plant diseases and insect pests [10], and decreased crop GY [11]. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the understanding of the influence mechanism of SM on maize GY.
Some previous studies highlighted that the variation in GY was significantly influenced by weather conditions, including air temperature, precipitation, and hot wind [12,13,14,15]. Ray et al. [16] suggested that more than 60% of the variation in crop production resulted from climate change. Some previous studies highlighted that high temperatures and hot wind decreased maize phenological growth by inhibiting leaf photosynthesis [15,17,18]; high precipitation limited crop flowering and filling [19]; and solar radiation affected matter accumulation and transfer [20]. However, few observations have been conducted on the interactive influence of SM and natural weather conditions on the contributions of agronomic traits to the variation in maize GY.
Crop straw resources in China account for about one-third of the world’s total straw [21]. Therefore, adequately utilizing straw resources is an important agricultural management measure to promote maize GY in China. The North China Plain (NCP) is one of the primary maize cultivation areas in China. In this study, an experiment was set up to evaluate the influence of SM and weather conditions on GY and agronomic traits (plant height, kernel numbers per ear, ear length, ear diameter, stem diameter, and ear height) of summer maize in the NCP. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the response of maize GY and agronomic characters to SM, (2) to identify the underlying contribution of agronomic traits to the variations in maize GY, and (3) to determine the key weather factors affecting maize production in the NCP. This study is helpful to guide maize cropland management and improve maize GY.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Site Description

This study was performed at the Shandong Yucheng Agro-ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, CAS, in the NCP (36°50′ N, 116°34′ E). The mean annual evaporation ranges from 900 to 1400 mm (1980–2015), and annual temperature is 13.3 °C [22]. The mean annual precipitation is 625.4 mm (1991–2020), and 70% of the total annual precipitation fell from June to September [23]. The soil used is calcaric Fluvisol, and the soil texture (0–20 cm) is silt loamy (sand, 12%; silt, 66%; clay, 22%) in the study area. Soil pH (soil: water, 1:5) was 8.3, and total soil organic matter, nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were 12.6 g kg−1, 0.89 g kg−1, 385.65 mg C kg−1, 30.79 mg N kg−1, 2.11 g kg−1, and 21.4 g kg−1 (0–20 cm), respectively [24].

2.2. Field Management and Experimental Design

The field experiment was conducted from October 2014, and the study period was from 2018 to 2020. The crop system was winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–summer maize (Zea mays L.). Two mulching management methods, no-wheat straw mulch (NSM) and straw mulching (SM), were randomized in every standard plot (5 m × 10 m, three replicates).
Maize seeds (Denghai 605) were manually hole-sowed in the third week of June in rows 60 cm and 30 cm apart. Nitrogen fertilization (207 kg ha−1) was conducted by top-dressing after precipitation in late July. Basically, no plowing and no irrigation were conducted during maize growth stages. Only 100 mm irrigation was conducted before sowing in 2019 due to the fact that severe drought influences seedling growth. Wheat straw was manually returned to the soil surface at 6 Mg ha–1 during the maize interplanting period, on 11 July 2018, 12 July 2019, and 10 July 2020. Maize was hand-harvested in the second week of October. In the third week of October, winter wheat seeds (Jimai 22) were sowed with a shovel in 20 cm rows (no tillage was applied) after a 100 mm irrigation (local underground water). In total, 105 kg N ha−1 nitrogen (as urea, 46.4% nitrogen content), 750 kg P2O5 ha−1 phosphorus, and 160 kg K2SO4 ha−1 potassium were applied at the sowing stage. An additional 105 kg N ha−1 nitrogen fertilizer was top-dressed when 100 mm irrigation was conducted at the greening stage in March of the following year. Another 100 mm irrigation process was conducted in the middle of May. Winter wheat was harvested in the second week of June. Detailed maize management information can be found in our previous study [24,25].

2.3. Crop Yield and Agronomic Characteristic Measurements

During the harvest period, 20 maize plants in the center of every plot were randomly sampled. The mean GY and agronomic traits of the maize were calculated using information from 20 maize samples. The plant height and ear height were measured with a meter rod. The stem diameter, ear length, and ear diameter were measured using a vernier caliper. The kernel number per ear was measured by a particle counter after corn threshing.

2.4. Meteorological Analysis

The meteorological factors were measured by an automatic weather station at Yucheng experiment station, less than 200 m away from our experimental plots. Based on the influence of meteorological factors on the growth and reproduction of maize, the analysis of weather conditions was divided into two periods: the sowing-to-tasseling stage, affecting the plant height, ear length, ear diameter, stem diameter, and ear height, and the jointing-to-maturity stage, affecting the kernel number per ear.
The meteorological factors analyzed in this study included the maximum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin), growing degree days (GDDs), killing degree days (KDDs), rainfall (rain), air relative humidity (RH), vapor pressure difference (VPD), and hot dry wind (HDW). Detailed meteorological data can be found in Figure 1 and Figure 2.
The average values of meteorological factors during the maize growth stages were calculated, and the corresponding data are shown in Table 1.
The growing degree days (GDDs, °Cd) were defined according to Yang et al. [26]:
G D D = ∑ 0 n T m a x + T m i n 2 − T b a s e
where Tbase is 10 °C; the optimum temperature for maize growth (Topt) is set to 30 °C; and if Tmin < Tbase, then Tmin = Tbase, and if Tmax > Topt, then Tmax = Topt.
The high-temperature stress encountered during maize growth was counted for each day when Tmax > 32 °C, using the KDD (°Cd), according to previous study [27,28]
K D D = { 0 i f   T m a x > 30 ∑ 0 n ( T m a x − 30 ) i f   T m a x   ≤   30
The VPD was calculated using the following formulas [29]:
V P D = e s T a − e a
e s T a = ( 0.6108 × E X P ( 17.27 × T a T a + 237.3 ) ) × 1000 101
e a = e 0 R H 100
where, ea is average daily actual vapor pressure (kPa). Tmean is average daily temperature. e0 is average daily saturated vapor pressure (kPa); RHmean is average daily relative humidity.
HDW (m/s) was calculated by using wind speed (m/s) multiplied with the VPD [30]:
HDW = VPD × Windspeed

2.5. Statistical Analysis

The interactive effects of straw mulching and the study year were calculated by using a two-way analysis of variance, and a least significant difference (LSD) test at the level of a = 0.05 was used to compare the influence of the straw treatments and study year. The correlations between the GY, plant height, kernel number per ear, ear length, ear diameter, stem diameter, and ear height were processed using Pearson’s correlation analysis. Multiple linear stepwise regression models investigating the associations between agronomic traits and weather conditions (maximum temperature, minimum temperature, growing degree days, killing degree days, precipitation, air relative humidity, vapor pressure difference, and hot dry wind) were utilized. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 19.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, USA).

3. Results

3.1. Grain Yield and Agronomic Traits

Compared with NSM, SM increased the GY by 31.49% in 2018 and 23.72% in 2019 (p < 0.05, Table 2). The offset of the GY between the SM and NSM treatments was greatest in 2018 (1.54 Mg ha−1). However, SM had no significant influence on the GY in 2020 (p > 0.05, Table 2). On average, SM increased the maize GY by 20.44% across the three years studied (p < 0.05, Table 2 and Table 3). The grain yield significantly varied with the study year (p < 0.05, Table 3). The highest GY occurred in 2020 (6.83 Mg ha−1), and the lowest GY was seen in 2019 (4.39 Mg ha−1) across both treatments.
Straw mulching, compared with NSM, increased the plant height by 17.22 cm and 33.90 cm in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Similarly, SM improved the ear diameter by 0.19 cm in 2019 and increased the stem diameter by 0.32 cm in 2020, respectively. Straw mulching improved the ear height by 9.13% in 2019 and 18.57% in 2020, respectively. On average, SM improved the plant height, ear diameter, and ear height by 17.61 cm, 0.10 cm, and 9.77 cm (p < 0.05), respectively, across the years studied (Table 2). However, SM had no significant influence on the kernel number per ear and ear length (p > 0.05). Of the years studied, the offset of the plant height (33.90 cm) and ear height (13.86 cm) between the NSM and SM treatments was highest in 2020. The ear length was most significantly influenced by the study year (p < 0.01, Table 3). The stem diameter was significantly affected by the interaction of SM and the study year (p < 0.05, Table 3).

3.2. Relationships Between GY and Agronomic Characteristics

In both treatments, the GY was influenced the ear length across the three years studied (Figure 3). Of the agronomic characteristics, the plant height was most significantly correlated with the ear height in the NSM treatment (p < 0.01, Figure 3). The kernel number per ear was affected by the ear length in the SM treatment (p < 0.05, Figure 3).

3.3. Influence of Weather Conditions

Compared to the jointing–tasseling and tasseling–maturity periods, the greatest mean max temperature, wind speed, VPD, GDD, KDD, and HDW occurred during the sowing–jointing period (Figure 1 and Figure 2). However, the highest air relative humidity was detected in the jointing–tasseling period (Figure 2).
The plant height was significantly influenced by the GDD and min temperature from the sowing-to-tasseling periods (p < 0.05, Table 4). The kernel number per ear was significantly positively correlated with the GDD and min temperature from the flowering-to-maturity periods (p < 0.05, Table 4). The ear length and ear diameter were significantly negatively correlated with the GDD from the sowing-to-tasseling periods (p < 0.05, Table 4), respectively. However, there was no influence of weather conditions on the ear height and stem diameter (p > 0.05, Table 4).

4. Discussion

4.1. The Influence of SM on GY and Agronomic Traits

The maize GY was improved by the SM treatment in this study (Table 2), a finding that was in line with the findings of previous studies [7,9,31]. This could be explained by the SM treatment increasing the soil organic matter and accelerating the nutrient cycles through straw addition, which was in line with the result reported by Li et al. [21]. Furthermore, we found that the SM treatment increased the soil water by covering the soil surface in our previous study [25], as Liu et al. [3] highlighted in their reports. Thereby, the SM treatment improved the vegetative growth and reproductive performance of the maize, and, lastly, increased the GY. Of the years studied, the mean GY across the NSM and SM treatments was highest in 2020 (6.83 Mg ha−1) and was lowest in 2019 (4.39 Mg ha−1) (Table 2). This was as a result of the sufficient rainfall that increased the kernel number in 2020, but also the severe drought that inhibited the plant growth in 2019 (Figure 1; Table 1).
Chen and Weil [32] suggested that the SM treatment would improve the soil environment by enhancing the soil porosity. Khan et al. [33] reported that the SM treatment increased the soil moisture retention and lowered the soil temperature over the growth period, and the crops grown using this treatment exhibited a greater LAI and photosynthetic activity. Therefore, SM improved the net photosynthetic rate of functional leaves by increasing the leaf area and light interception [34,35], promoting the growth of roots [32] and aboveground biomass [36,37]. Furthermore, SM increased the kernel filling and subsequent GY resulting from the response in the vegetative growth and reproductive performance [3]. In this study, SM improved the plant height, ear diameter, and ear height (Table 2), which was in line with the results of previous studies [38,39]. Zhao et al. [38] suggested that SM had a significant positive influence on the ear length. However, there were no significant variations in the ear length between the NSM and SM treatments in this study (Table 2). This may be explained by the different straw return rates, soil textures, and climatic conditions.
Liu et al. [3] and Xie et al. [9] suggested that the kernel number per ear was one of the three most important factors impacting the final GY performance. However, the variation in the kernel number per ear between both straw management treatments was not significant in this study (Table 2 and Table 3), and the relationship between the kernel number per ear and the GY was also not significant (Figure 3). This could be as a result of the variable weather conditions, as there were extreme levels of precipitation after the summer in 2018 and severe drought in 2019. However, it was found that the ear length was closely correlated with the kernel number per ear in the SM treatment, and the ear length was the most significant agronomic factor influencing the GY (Figure 3). Therefore, we suggested that the contribution of the kernel number per ear to the GY was decreased under extreme weather, and thus we need to conduct a more thorough exploration of this.

4.2. The Influence of Weather Conditions on GY and Agronomic Traits

As a C4 plant, the growth of maize was influenced by high temperatures and strong light conditions [40]. Zhao et al. [41] highlighted that every 1 ◦C increase in the average air temperature decreased the global maize GY by 7.4%. In our study, we found that the growing degree days (10 °C < air temperature < 30 °C) were the most significant meteorological factor influencing the plant height and kernel number per ear (Table 4), which was in line with the findings of a previous study [42].
It was suggested that high temperatures (≥32 °C) had a negative effect on plant growth [5,43,44]. Nevertheless, the killing degree days during the sowing–tasseling period had no impact on the plant height, ear length, ear diameter, stem diameter, or ear height in this study (Table 4). This may have been as a result of the drastic annual variation in temperature in the sowing–tasseling stages in the years studied (Figure 1).
Li at al. [4] highlighted that a high temperature during the flowering period resulted in a greater decrease in the kernel number per ear and the GY of maize when compared with other periods. This is as a result of the flowering period being the most critical period determining the final kernel number per ear, and a high temperature during the flowering period decreases the maize leaf area index, leaf photosynthetic pigment content, and the activities of leaf carboxylases [45]. Therefore, high temperatures resulted in the inhibition of photosynthetic activity, hindering the accumulation and distribution of photosynthetic compounds, reducing the number and weight of kernels per ear, and ultimately decreased the maize GY [42]. We determined the temperature during the flowering period in this study, and the results showed that the killing degree days during the flowering period were highest in 2020 (6.4 °Cd) and lowest in 2018 (0.4 °Cd) (Figure 1). Furthermore, no extreme heat (≥35 °C) occurred during the flowering days in 2018, but the max temperature on 17–18th of August was higher than 35 °C (Figure 1). This was as a result of 2018 being a wet year, and the excessive precipitation frequency and heavy rain decreasing the air temperature in the flowering stage of the maize (Figure 1). Therefore, the killing degree days had no significant influence on the kernel number per ear across the three years studied (Table 4).
The max temperature and hot dry wind were closely related with high temperatures and had a significant impact on the GY [44]. In this study, we found that the max temperature and hot dry wind were significantly correlated with the ear length (Table 4), which was the most important agronomic trait affecting the maize GY (Figure 3), and which was consistent with the findings of previous studies [43,44]. Furthermore, the frequency, times, and duration of extreme heat have increased in most regions of China over the past few decades [46]. It is vital to conduct a deeper investigation into the mechanism of the response of maize agronomic traits and GY to heat waves, and to guide adaption management in cornland under global warming.
Global climate change has increased the variation in global precipitation patterns [47]. In this study, there was a great change in precipitation in 2018–2020 (Figure 1). The long-term rainfall volume and rain frequency during the maize growth stage (20 June to 10 October) were 402.5 mm and 29 times [22]. However, compared with this, the precipitation increased by 17.49% in 2018 (Table 1), and the rain frequency decreased by 33.19% during the same period (Figure 1). This indicated that heavy precipitation was increased in 2018 when compared with the last three decades. The extreme precipitation decreased the daily min temperature but the max temperature was not correspondingly decreased in 2018 (Figure 1). Therefore, we suggest that more extreme variation in weather conditions may occur in the future, specifically leading to higher KDDs and decreased GDDs, which will have a significant influence on plant growth and the GY of maize in the future.

5. Conclusions

Using a field experiment from 2018 to 2020, we quantified the performance of two straw management methods (SM and NSM) under different weather conditions in a maize field. This study highlighted that SM increased the GY by 20.44%. SM improved the plant height, ear diameter, and ear height by 17.61 cm, 0.10 cm, and 9.77 cm, respectively, across the years studied. The grain yield and ear length were most significantly influenced by the year (p < 0.01). The stem diameter was significantly affected by the interaction of SM and the year (p < 0.05). The ear length and ear height played significantly positive roles in the variation in the GY. Furthermore, the ear length was positively correlated with the kernel number per ear in the SM treatment. We found that the growing degree days, hot dry wind, and air temperature had a significant influence on maize plant growth and reproduction. Therefore, we suggest a sustainable SM management method to improve the maize GY under dramatic climate changes in the future.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, F.L. and K.D.; methodology, K.D.; software, K.D. and Z.L.; validation, K.D. and F.L.; formal analysis, K.D. and Z.L.; investigation, K.D. and Z.L.; resources, F.L.; data curation, K.D.; writing—original draft preparation, K.D.; writing—review and editing, F.L. and K.D.; supervision, F.L. and K.D. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was supported by Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation (ZR2022QC238), the Open Fund of Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water and Soil Conservation and Environmental Protection, Linyi University (STKF202308), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. U2006212).

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available on request.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank colleagues at the Yucheng experimental station for their experimental support and constructive advice on this manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Agronomy 14 02686 g001
Figure 1. Mean, min, and max air temperature (°C) and precipitation (mm) during the growth stages of maize at Yucheng experiment station in the period 2018–2020. Maize growth stages: days 171–283.
Figure 1. Mean, min, and max air temperature (°C) and precipitation (mm) during the growth stages of maize at Yucheng experiment station in the period 2018–2020. Maize growth stages: days 171–283.
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Figure 2. Wind speed (m/s) and air relative humidity (%) during the growth stages of maize at Yucheng experiment station in the period 2018–2020. Maize growth stages: days 171–283.
Figure 2. Wind speed (m/s) and air relative humidity (%) during the growth stages of maize at Yucheng experiment station in the period 2018–2020. Maize growth stages: days 171–283.
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Agronomy 14 02686 g003aAgronomy 14 02686 g003b
Figure 3. Correlation plots were used to understand the relative degree between GY and agronomic traits in the period 2018−2020. PH: plant height; KNPE: kernel number per ear; EL: ear length; ED: ear diameter; SD: stem diameter; EH: ear height. A: NSM treatments; B: SM treatments. * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01.
Figure 3. Correlation plots were used to understand the relative degree between GY and agronomic traits in the period 2018−2020. PH: plant height; KNPE: kernel number per ear; EL: ear length; ED: ear diameter; SD: stem diameter; EH: ear height. A: NSM treatments; B: SM treatments. * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01.
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Table 1. Mean meteorological factors during the growth stages of maize (days 171–283).
Table 1. Mean meteorological factors during the growth stages of maize (days 171–283).
YearTP (mm)AT (°C)Max T (°C)Min T (°C)RH (%)WS
2018472.925.537.31.475.902.03
2019220.324.938.67.475.852.57
2020443.223.836.62.080.342.33
Mean378.824.737.53.677.362.31
TP: Total precipitation; AT: Average temperature; Max T: Max temperature; Min T: Min temperature; RH: Relative humidity; WS: Wind speed.
Table 2. Effects of straw mulching on GY (Mg ha−1 yr−1), plant height (cm), kernel number per ear, ear length (cm), ear diameter (cm), stem diameter (cm), and ear height (cm) of maize from 2018 to 2020.
Table 2. Effects of straw mulching on GY (Mg ha−1 yr−1), plant height (cm), kernel number per ear, ear length (cm), ear diameter (cm), stem diameter (cm), and ear height (cm) of maize from 2018 to 2020.
YearsGroupsGYPHKNPEELEDSDEH
2018NSM4.89 ± 0.34 a217.20 ± 6.13 a520.55 ± 7.25 a20.70 ± 0.57 a4.84 ± 0.06 a2.10 ± 0.04 a82.50 ± 0.28 a
SM6.43 ± 0.91 b218.90 ± 11.70 a481.40 ± 46.11 a19.47 ± 2.02 a4.88 ± 0.05 a2.08 ± 0.13 a90.03 ± 6.95 b
2019NSM3.92 ± 0.39 a208.93 ± 8.84 a485.03 ± 19.58 a17.17 ± 0.79 a4.82 ± 0.09 a1.58 ± 0.07 a74.52 ± 3.13 a
SM4.85 ± 0.63 b226.15 ± 7.29 b509.68 ± 44.23 a18.13 ± 1.64 a5.01 ± 0.05 b1.63 ± 0.09 a82.43 ± 3.01 a
2020NSM6.50 ± 0.49 a200.30 ± 15.30 a514.27 ± 38.86 a20.90 ± 1.24 a4.91 ± 0.08 a1.44 ± 0.02 a74.67 ± 7.31 a
SM7.16 ± 0.44 a234.20 ± 1.10 b551.48 ± 36.11 a21.93 ± 1.51 a4.97 ± 0.09 a1.76 ± 0.12 b88.53 ± 3.75 b
MeanNSM5.10 ± 0.09 a208.81 ± 4.55 a34.94 ± 1.37 a19.59 ± 0.40 a4.86 ± 0.02 a1.70 ± 0.03 a77.23 ± 2.30 a
SM6.15 ± 0.38 b226.42 ± 4.01 b35.46 ± 1.64 a19.84 ± 1.11 a4.96 ± 0.03 b1.82 ± 0.05 a87.00 ± 1.95 b
Grain yield data was from our previous study [25]. GY: Grain yield; PH: Plant height; KNPE: Kernel numbers per ear; EL: Ear length; ED: Ear diameter; SD: Stem diameter; EH: Ear height. Values with the same letter are not significantly different between NSM and SM at p < 0.05.
Table 3. p-value from the analysis of variance for GY (Mg ha−1 yr−1), plant height (cm), kernel numbers per ear, ear length (cm), ear diameter (cm), stem diameter (cm), and ear height (cm) of the growing season of maize under the different treatments in the period 2018–2020.
Table 3. p-value from the analysis of variance for GY (Mg ha−1 yr−1), plant height (cm), kernel numbers per ear, ear length (cm), ear diameter (cm), stem diameter (cm), and ear height (cm) of the growing season of maize under the different treatments in the period 2018–2020.
TreatmentsGYPHKNPEELEDSDEH
Straw Management0.003 **0.007 **0.7250.7550.038 *0.043 *0.004 **
Years<0.001 **0.9930.3260.007 **0.290<0.001 **0.105
Straw Management * Years0.4510.0950.2930.4460.2990.034 *0.585
GY: Grain yield; PH: Plant height; KNPE: Kernel numbers per ear; EL: Ear length; ED: Ear diameter; SD: Stem diameter; EH: Ear height. * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01.
Table 4. Multiple linear stepwise regression models of agronomic traits with weather conditions across both straw management and study year.
Table 4. Multiple linear stepwise regression models of agronomic traits with weather conditions across both straw management and study year.
ItemStandard CoefficientsAdjusted R2p-Value
Plant heightGDD (1.261), T MIN (−0.266)0.9950.031
Kernel numbers per earGDD (0.993), T MIN (0.069)0.9960.011
Ear lengthTmax (−1.012), HDW (0.013)0.9990.003
Ear diameterGDD (−1.162), T MIN (0.165)0.9980.006
Stem diameterNS−−
Ear heightNS−−
NS, not significant; “−”, no data.
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Du, K.; Li, Z.; Li, F. Straw Mulching and Weather Conditions Affecting the Trade-Off Between Grain Yield and Agronomic Traits of Maize. Agronomy 2024, 14, 2686. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112686

AMA Style

Du K, Li Z, Li F. Straw Mulching and Weather Conditions Affecting the Trade-Off Between Grain Yield and Agronomic Traits of Maize. Agronomy. 2024; 14(11):2686. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112686

Chicago/Turabian Style

Du, Kun, Zhao Li, and Fadong Li. 2024. "Straw Mulching and Weather Conditions Affecting the Trade-Off Between Grain Yield and Agronomic Traits of Maize" Agronomy 14, no. 11: 2686. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112686

APA Style

Du, K., Li, Z., & Li, F. (2024). Straw Mulching and Weather Conditions Affecting the Trade-Off Between Grain Yield and Agronomic Traits of Maize. Agronomy, 14(11), 2686. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112686

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