The interception of photosynthetically active solar radiation has a great effect on plant’s performance, particularly in favorable environments. Solar radiation use efficiency is very low under field conditions. The adequate choice of plant arrangement may enhance radiation interception, increasing grain yield, because it influences leaf area index, leaf angle and light distribution within the canopy. This review aims to analyze the main factors that affect plant arrangement definition in maize, the changes in plant arrangement recommendation and, the modification in plant traits that favored such changes. The choice of plant arrangement in the field must take into account cultivar, grower objective, input availability, planting date and length of the growing season. The major alterations in plant arrangement occurred after the commercial release of maize single-cross hybrids which was followed by an increase in fertilizer use and a more efficient weed control and insects. The association between better crop management and highly productive hybrids favored the increase in plant density and reduction in row spacing. Such cultural practice changes were also boosted by important plant modifications, including reduction in tassel size, decrease in the number of barren plants under high densities, smaller rate of leaf senescence during grain filling, better synchrony between anthesis and silking in stressful environments, smaller plant height and leaf number, lower rates of stem and root lodging and reduction in leaf angle insertion on the stem. These morphological and physiological changes increased maize endurance to high plant populations making possible to change plant display. Increase of maize yield potential will be possible through the increases in the stress tolerance and in the uniformity of plant emergence.
Zea mays, L.; plant density; row spacing; intra-row plant distribution; plant-to-plant variability
