Tiltle: Nutrient and planting modes strategies improves water use efficiency, grainfilling and hormonal changes of maize in semi-arid regions of China 

Authors: Yang Li, Liye Yang, Hao Wang, Ranran Xu, Shenghua Chang, Fujiang Hou, Qianmin Jia* 

Journal：Agricultural Water Management（农林科学二区 IF₂₀₁₈=3.542）

DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2019.105723

Abstract: A nutrient in combination of planting modes strategies has not been implemented on grain filling process, hormonal changes in seeds, water use efficiency (WUE) and maize yield. Field study was conducted during 2016?2017 to evaluate the performance to three cultivation techniques, (RF: ridge furrow precipitation harvesting technique with plastic mulching; PM: flat planting with plastic mulching; CP: flat planting without plastic mulching); with four nitrogen levels, (0: 0 kg N ha?1; 1: 100 kg N ha?1; 2: 200 kg N ha?1; 3:300 kg N ha?1) in semi-arid areas. The results indicated that grain-filling rate, hormonal changes, dry matter per plant, yield components, WUE and ET of maize under the RF technique were significantly higher as compared with PM and CP cultivation techniques under different nutrient management strategies. Under the same cultivation techniques, as N amount increased up to 200 kg ha?1, the soil water storage, phytohormones such as IAA, Z+ZR, ABA content, were significantly improved and reducing GAs, Ethylene evolution rate, which led to improve maize production as compared with control plots. Nitrogen applications at 300 kg ha?1 have significantly reduced soil water storage and ET rate at different cultivation techniques. These results indicated that under the RF3 treatment improved grain filling process, WUE (55.5%) and grain yield (3.0 t ha?1). Nitrogen applications at the rate of 300 kg ha?1 with either RF or PM cultivation techniques significantly affected hormonal changes, therefore, regulating the Wmax, Gmax, Gmean, Tmax, and activity grain-filling period (AGP) of maize. It is concluded from our results that the RF3 treatment is an innovative cultivation technique to significantly improve the soil water storage, WUE, total dry mater accumulation (19.8%); grain filling rates thereby balance hormonal changes in maize seeds, as a result increase maize yields in semi-arid regions.