AUTHOR=Wang Li-Qing , Yu Xiao-Fang , Gao Ju-Lin , Ma Da-Ling , Liu Hong-Yue , Hu Shu-Ping 

TITLE=Regulation of tillage on grain matter accumulation in maize

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1373624

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2024.1373624

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=To address issues related to shallow soil tillage, low soil nutrient content and single tillage method in maize production in the Western Inner Mongolia Region, this study implemented various tillage and straw return techniques, including strip cultivation, subsoiling, deep tillage, no-tillage, straw incorporation with strip cultivation, straw incorporation with subsoiling, straw incorporation with deep tillage, straw incorporation with no-tillage, while using conventional shallow spinning by farmers as the control. We employed Xianyu 696 (XY696) and Ximeng 6 (XM6) as experimental materials to assess maize 100-grain weight, grain filling rate parameters, and grain nutrient quality. This investigation aimed to elucidate how tillage and straw return influence the accumulation of grain material in different maize varieties. The results indicated that proper implementation of tillage and straw return had a significant impact on the 100-grain weight of both varieties. In comparison to CK (farmer's rotary rotation), the most notable rise in 100-grain weight was observed under the DPR treatment (straw incorporation with deep tillage), with a maximum increase of 4.84% for XY696 and 6.28% for XM6. The proper implementation of tillage and straw return in the field resulted in discernible differences in the stages of improving grain filling rates of different maize varieties. In comparison to CK, V1 increased by 1.54% to 27.56% in XY696, and V2 and V3 increased by 0.41% to 10.42% in XM6 under various tillage and straw return practices. The proper implementation of tillage and straw return had a significant impact on the nutritional quality of the grains in each variety. In comparison to CK, the DPR treatment resulted in the most pronounced decrease in the soluble sugar content of grains by 25.43% and the greatest increase in the crude fat content of grains by 9.67%. Additionally, the utilization of DPR treatment proved to be more effective. Overall, DPR is the most promising strategy to improve maize yield and nutritional quality of grain in the long term on the Western Inner Mongolia Region.