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Volume 14
Issue 16
10.3390/plants14162470
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Elimination of Intraspecific Competition Does Not Improve Maize Leaf Physiological and Biochemical Responses to Topsoil Degradation

by
Shan Zhang
1,2,†,
Xiaolong Zhang
3,†,
Zechen Jia
1,
Kaichang Liu
3,
Zhongxiao Guo
2,
Yanjie Lv
1,2,* and
Yongjun Wang
1,2,*
1
College of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
2
Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China
3
State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Plants 2025, 14(16), 2470; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14162470 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 8 July 2025 / Revised: 2 August 2025 / Accepted: 8 August 2025 / Published: 9 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Efficiency in Crop Production: Physiological Strategies to Enhance Yields)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Soil degradation limits maize grain yield, but the mechanisms by which leaf functions respond to topsoil depth and their contributions to yield are unclear. We quantified the response mechanisms of leaf functions to topsoil depth with topsoil depths of 10 cm (S1), 20 cm (S2), 30 cm (S3), 40 cm (S4), and 50 cm (S5) and planting densities of 15,000 plants ha−1 (D1, the plant spacing was 111.1 cm and there was no mutual influence between individuals) and 75,000 plants ha−1 (D2). The grain yield in S1 was significantly lower than that in S2, S3, S4, and S5, and the maximum reductions in yield were 39.7% in D1 and 39.1% in D2. The coefficients of variation for yield in S1 and S2 were significantly higher than those in S3, S4, and S5 at both densities and in both years. The net assimilation rate and production efficiency of leaf area, as well as leaf nitrogen and carbon accumulation, all decreased with decreasing topsoil depth. The decreasing topsoil depth significantly reduced the maize leaf net photosynthetic rate, activities of key nitrogen metabolism enzymes, and photosynthesis. Therefore, eliminating intraspecific competition did not reduce the yield loss caused by a reduction in topsoil because leaf nitrogen metabolism and photosynthetic processes were severely limited by the decrease in topsoil depth.
Keywords: topsoil depth; maize planting density; intraspecific competition; nitrogen metabolism enzymes; photosynthesis enzymes; yield variability topsoil depth; maize planting density; intraspecific competition; nitrogen metabolism enzymes; photosynthesis enzymes; yield variability

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, S.; Zhang, X.; Jia, Z.; Liu, K.; Guo, Z.; Lv, Y.; Wang, Y. Elimination of Intraspecific Competition Does Not Improve Maize Leaf Physiological and Biochemical Responses to Topsoil Degradation. Plants 2025, 14, 2470. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14162470

AMA Style

Zhang S, Zhang X, Jia Z, Liu K, Guo Z, Lv Y, Wang Y. Elimination of Intraspecific Competition Does Not Improve Maize Leaf Physiological and Biochemical Responses to Topsoil Degradation. Plants. 2025; 14(16):2470. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14162470

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Shan, Xiaolong Zhang, Zechen Jia, Kaichang Liu, Zhongxiao Guo, Yanjie Lv, and Yongjun Wang. 2025. "Elimination of Intraspecific Competition Does Not Improve Maize Leaf Physiological and Biochemical Responses to Topsoil Degradation" Plants 14, no. 16: 2470. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14162470

APA Style

Zhang, S., Zhang, X., Jia, Z., Liu, K., Guo, Z., Lv, Y., & Wang, Y. (2025). Elimination of Intraspecific Competition Does Not Improve Maize Leaf Physiological and Biochemical Responses to Topsoil Degradation. Plants, 14(16), 2470. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14162470

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