Crops ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (4): 173-180.doi: 10.16035/j.issn.1001-7283.2025.04.022

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The Effects of ABA Application at Different Stages on Maize Grain Filling and Dehydration

Wang Xingya1(), Chen Yuhan2, Zhang Mengwen2, Sun Linlin1, Chen Lirong1, Guo Yuqiu1, Gong Kuijie1()   

  1. 1Crop Research Institute, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, Shandong, China
    2College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
  • Received:2024-05-06 Revised:2024-09-12 Online:2025-08-15 Published:2025-08-12

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Abstract:

Using maize varieties with different dehydration types (physiologically slow dehydration variety Zhengdan 958 and physiologically fast dehydration varieties Jingnongke 728 and Dika 517) as experimental materials, field and pot experiments were conducted to apply abscisic acid (ABA) during the mid (20 days after silking) and late grain-filling stages (around 40 days after silking), aiming to investigate the regulatory effects and regulatory periods of ABA on grain dehydration. Results showed that, compared with the water control (CK), the application of ABA during the mid grain-filling stage led to a 5.4% and 8.2% increase in average yield, and a 5.7% and 9.0% increase in average 1000-grain weight for Zhengdan 958 and fast dehydration varieties (Jingnongke 728 and Dika 517) in field and pot experiments, respectively. ABA enhanced maize yield by improving 1000-grain weight, with a more pronounced effect observed in fast dehydration variety Jingnongke 728. ABA application during the mid grain-filling stage shortened the growth period of maize, increased grain dry weight at harvest, and reduced grain moisture content, with more significant effects observed in fast dehydration varieties. Compared with the CK, the reproductive growth period of fast dehydration varieties was shortened by four days, the grain filling rate increased by 9.2%, the grain dry matter accumulation at harvest increased by 5.4%, and the grain moisture content at harvest decreased by 7.6% on average. Applying ABA during the late grain-filling stage did not result in significant changes in yield, growth progress, grain filling rate, and dehydration rate across the varieties. In summary, ABA can increase maize yield and promote grain dehydration, with the key growth stage for ABA regulation of maize grain dehydration being the mid-grain filling stage.

Key words: Maize, ABA, Yield, Grain moisture content, Grain dehydration rate, Mechanical grain harvesting

Fig.1

Daily maximum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin) and precipitation during maize growing season in 2022"

Table 1

Effects of ABA application at different growth stages on yield and its components of different maize varieties in field experiment"

时期
Stage		 品种
Variety		 处理
Treatment		 产量
Yield (kg/hm2)		 穗粒数
Kernel number per ear		 千粒重
1000-grain weight (g)		 收获指数
Harvest index
灌浆中期Mid-filling stage ZD958 CK 13 801.4±435.8b 530.7±19.5a 296.2±2.5b 0.53±0.00b
ABA 14 517.0±92.6a 530.0±7.3a 320.5±1.8a 0.55±0.01a
JNK728 CK 12 655.5±205.4b 445.3±11.8a 333.5±1.8b 0.53±0.00b
ABA 13 800.1±366.2a 453.2±8.7a 375.1±11.5a 0.57±0.01a
DK517 CK 11 167.4±17.4b 460.9±8.6b 316.4±2.6b 0.53±0.01b
ABA 11 826.1±9.7a 497.1±3.0a 328.4±2.7a 0.56±0.01a
灌浆后期Late-filling stage ZD958 CK 13 840.7±101.5a 528.6±1.1a 299.5±1.0a 0.49±0.02a
ABA 13 116.5±298.3b 520.8±2.1b 298.1±1.0a 0.48±0.01a
JNK728 CK 12 541.4±171.9a 449.0±1.0a 339.6±3.5a 0.52±0.02a
ABA 12 798.1±174.1a 453.2±1.3a 343.2±1.0a 0.53±0.03a
DK517 CK 10 870.2±221.7a 447.2±1.0a 311.7±1.7a 0.51±0.01a
ABA 11 021.5±436.8a 451.6±2.0a 306.8±1.5a 0.51±0.01a

Table 2

Effects of ABA application at different growth stages on grain yield and its components of different maize varieties in pot experiment"

时期
Stage		 品种
Variety		 处理
Treatment		 产量
Yield (kg/hm2)		 穗粒数
Kernel number per ear		 千粒重
1000-grain weight (g)		 收获指数
Harvest index
灌浆中期Mid-filling stage ZD958 CK 13 875.3±6.7b 549.6±10.2a 285.7±0.7b 0.50±0.00b
ABA 14 651.7±336.2a 556.9±5.1a 294.8±0.3a 0.54±0.01a
JNK728 CK 12 799.9±192.6b 483.2±3.2a 316.2±1.5b 0.51±0.01b
ABA 14 030.1±79.8a 477.1±0.5a 350.3±0.4a 0.56±0.02a
灌浆后期Late-filling stage ZD958 CK 13 432.9±174.6a 545.2±2.8a 281.4±0.8a 0.49±0.02a
ABA 13 652.9±325.2a 543.8±0.2a 276.4±0.5a 0.50±0.02a
JNK728 CK 12 428.9±299.0a 479.5±2.5a 311.6±1.9a 0.51±0.01a
ABA 12 327.9±345.2a 485.6±4.0a 306.8±0.5a 0.51±0.01a

Fig.2

Effects of ABA application at different growth stages on growth stage of different maize varieties in field and pot experiments"

Fig.3

Effects of ABA application at different growth stages on grain dry matter accumulation of different maize varieties in field experiment"

Fig.4

Effects of ABA application at different growth stages on grain dry matter accumulation of different maize varieties in pot experiment"

Fig.5

Effects of ABA application at different growth stages on grain moisture content of different maize varieties in field experiment"

Fig.6

Effects of ABA application at different growth stages on grain moisture content of different maize varieties in pot experiment"

Fig.7

Correlation analysis of grain dehydration rate and filling rate"

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