effect of shade stress on the performance of corn for silage versus grain

A field study was conducted near Guelph, Ontario, to investigate the effects of shade stress on the yield of corn grown for silage versus grain. The effects of shading on the quality of whole-plant corn silage were also examined. Shade was provided by two layers of fiberglass screen, which reduced t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Canadian journal of plant science Vol. 66; no. 1; pp. 53 - 60
Main Authors:	Mbewe, D.M.N, Hunter, R.B
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Ottawa, ON Agricultural Institute of Canada 1986
Subjects:	Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage Agricultural and forest meteorology Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions Biological and medical sciences Crop climate. Energy and radiation balances crop yield Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology General agronomy. Plant production Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development Generalities. Production, biomass, yield. Quality shade stress Zea mays Light effect Monocotyledones Production quality Zea mays Grains Shadow North America Cereal crop Stress Canada Type Gramineae Silage America Angiospermae Production Spermatophyta Yield Fodder crop Performance Ontario Phytoclimate
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Summary:	A field study was conducted near Guelph, Ontario, to investigate the effects of shade stress on the yield of corn grown for silage versus grain. The effects of shading on the quality of whole-plant corn silage were also examined. Shade was provided by two layers of fiberglass screen, which reduced the amount of light by approximately 65%. The shade treatments were applied during either the vegetative, reproductive or grain-filling stages of development. Shading at any stage reduced whole-plant dry matter (WPDM) yield at the silage corn harvest stage and the level of this reduction was relatively independent of the stage at which the shade was applied. Grain DM yield at the grain harvest stage was also reduced by light stress, with the greatest reduction resulting from light stress during the reproductive stage. However, for silage production, high stover yield compensated for the reduction in grain yield, resulting in little reduction in whole-plant yield. Shading during either the reproductive or filling stage reduced WPDM content due to reduced grain content and higher stover moisture content.Key words: Corn, silage quality, whole-plant corn silage
ISSN:	0008-4220 1918-1833
DOI:	10.4141/cjps86-007