Effects of Wide-narrow Row Planting Pattern on Leaf Senescence During Seed Filling in Maize

Leaf senescence during the late growth stage affectes maize yield.Suitable planting pattern could delay leaf senescence in maize.The experiment with planting patterns of wide-narrow row (160 cm+40 cm) and uniform row (65 cm,CK) in East-West (EW) and South by West 20 degree (SW) orientation was conducted in field with maize cultivars LY99.Physiological index including leaf SPAD values,non-structural carbohydrate content,proline content,activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) in ear leaf were measured at 115 days after sowing.The results showed that the proline content decreased while the SPAD value,non-structural carbohydrate content,as well as SOD activity and POD activity increased at the planting pattern wide-narrow row in SW orientation,compared with CK.Therefore,the wide-narrow row of South by West 20 degrees planting is beneficial to delay the senescence at late growth stage of maize in Dehui City,Jilin province.