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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Urbana, Illinois » Global Change and Photosynthesis Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #379153
Research Project: Understanding and Responding to Multiple-Herbicide Resistance in Weeds

Location: Global Change and Photosynthesis Research

Title: Economic optimum plant density of sweet corn does not increase root lodging incidence

Author
item Williams, Martin
item Hausman, Nicholas
item DHALIWAL, DALJEET - University Of Illinois
item GRIFT, TONY - University Of Illinois
item BOHN, MARTIN - University Of Illinois

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/22/2021
Publication Date: 7/18/2021
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/7709476
Citation: Williams II, M., Hausman, N.E., Dhaliwal, D., Grift, T., Bohn, M. 2021. Economic optimum plant density of sweet corn does not increase root lodging incidence. Crop Science. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20546.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20546

Interpretive Summary: Sweet corn yield can be improved by using density-tolerant germplasm at higher-than-current plant densities. However, yield may be compromised with such an approach if increased plant densities also increases susceptibility to root lodging. We examined this concern with multiple experimental approaches, including simulated root lodging events in field trials and natural lodging events in growers’ fields. This work shows factors other than plant density dominate the crop’s potential for, and recovery from, root lodging. The impact of the work is that it removes a perceived risk to the adoption of density-tolerant sweet corn.

Technical Abstract: Exploitation of plant density tolerance in sweet corn, including the use of density-tolerant germplasm with higher-than-current plant densities, has the potential to improve crop yield. However, yield may be compromised with such an approach if increasing plant densities also increases root lodging. Multiple experimental approaches, including simulated lodging events in field trials and natural lodging events in growers’ fields, were utilized to 1) quantify the effect of plant density on plant height, stem diameter, and force needed to root lodge the plant, 2) determine the extent to which root lodging at tasseling influences plant recovery and yield response to plant density, and 3) quantify the extent to which increasing plant density from current to optimum densities for sweet corn increases root lodging severity from natural lodging events. A simulated lodging experiment over three years showed the environment in which sweet corn is grown is far more important to root lodging than plant density, as well as plant recovery from a lodging event. In trials with natural lodging events, results showed commercial sweet corn hybrids differ greatly in their susceptibility to root lodging, with some cultivars tolerant across all plant densities. Across 16 experimental comparisons of sweet corn response to plant density where natural root lodging was observed, including 7 environments and 11 commercial hybrids, there was no difference in root lodging between current and optimum plant densities. Factors other than plant density dominate the crop’s potential for, and recovery from, root lodging; namely, the hybrid and the environment in which the crop is grown.