Effects of Planting Density on Maize Yield and Soil Physicochemical Properties under Straw Returning
To investigate the effects of different planting densities on maize yield and soil physicochemical properties under straw return,and to screen out the optimal maize planting density under straw return,this experiment used Xianyu 335 as the test material.Under the condition of straw returning,three planting densities were set:WF(67 500 plants/hm2),WSF(82 500 plants/hm2)and WSFR(97 500 plants/hm2).The effects of different planting densities on the physicochemical properties of soil and maize yield in the cultivated layer were analyzed.The results show that the contents of total nitrogen,alkaline nitrogen,fast-acting phosphorus,fast-acting potassium and organic matter all increased first and then decreased with the increase in planting density,reaching the highest at a planting density of 82 500 plants/hm2.The total salt,bulk weight and porosity increased with increased planting density.The number of grains per panicle and the 100-grain weight decreased with the increase in planting density,showing a negative correlation,while the number of panicles per hectare and yield significantly increased with planting density,showing a positive correlation.The highest yield was 1 065.79 kg/667 m2 at a density of 97 500 plants/hm2.From the viewpoint of yield,WSFR(97 500 plants/hm2)is the optimal planting density,and from the viewpoint of soil nutrients,WSF(82 500 plants/hm2)is the optimal planting density.