Plant Sciences Commons^™

Corn Response To Competition: Growth Alteration Vs. Yield Limiting Factors, Sharon A. Clay, David E. Clay, D. P. Horvath, J. Pullis, C. Gregg Carlson, Stephanie A. Hansen, Graig Reicks

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Competition mechanisms among adjacent plants are not well understood. This study compared corn growth and yield responses to water, N, and shade at 74,500 plants ha⁻¹ (1×) with responses to water and N when planted at 149,000 plant ha⁻¹ Plant biomass, leaf area, chlorophyll content, reflectance, and enzyme expression (transcriptome analysis) were measured at V-12. Grain and stover yields were measured with grain analyzed for ¹³C isotopic discrimination (Δ) and N concentration. At V-12, 60% shade plants had increased chlorophyll and reduced leaf area and height compared to full sun plants. In the 2× treatment, plants had …