Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: This study aimed to analyze the productive behavior of the maize crop, cultivated at different population densities, in management zones (MZ) delimited based on mapping the spatial variability of the soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa). The soil ECa was measured and two MZs were subsequently delimited, one with low and the other with high ECa. In each MZ, four maize sowing densities were tested: 60,000 (D1); 80,000 (D2); 100,000 (D3) and 140,000 (D4) seeds ha-1. Ear length, number of grains per ear, number of grains per row, number of rows per ear, thousand-grain weight, and yield were evaluated. The increase in sowing density in the high ECa MZ linearly reduced the values of ear diameter, number of rows per ear, number of grains per ear and thousand-grain weight. Sowing density D3, when implemented in the low ECa MZ, showed higher values for the ear length, ear diameter, number of grains per row, number of grains per ear, and thousand-grain weight. Sowing density D2 was the one with the highest yield, regardless of the MZ where it was implemented (5,628.48 kg ha-1 in the high ECa management zone and 4,463.63 kg ha-1 in the low ECa).
Source: Sensors
DOI: 10.3390/s24237552
Institution: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria
Language: English
Subfield: Agronomy and Crop Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Zero hunger, Life on land
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,955
OpenAlex ID: W4404757594