Maximizing maize grain yield stability through integrated management of plant density and hybrid reproductive plasticity

Autores
Martinez, Dionisio Roberto; Barbieri, Pablo; Masiero, Beatriz; Mrozek, Fernando; Ferraguti, Facundo Javier; Darwich, Gastón Alejandro; Echarte, Laura
Año de publicación
2026
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Context: The plant density that maximizes grain yield is influenced by environmental conditions and the hybrid’s sensitivity to low resource availability and reproductive plasticity. Rainfall variability across seasons introduces uncertainties in determining optimal plant density, even in humid regions with typically high-yielding environments. Objective: This study aimed to identify management strategies that integrate plant density and genotypes with varying reproductive plasticity levels to maximize grain yield and stability across environments with differing rainfall in a humid temperate area where maize is commonly grown. Methods: This study involved experiments conducted across multiple locations and seasons, testing combinations of three plant densities (8, 6, and 4 plants m⁻²) with three hybrids exhibiting contrasting reproductive plasticity (high prolificacy, high ear flex, and moderate prolificacy with ear flex). Stability analyses were performed using Eberhart and Russell, Shukla, and Genotype by Environment (GGE) biplot methods. Results: The environments in this study ranged from 9500 to 14000 kg ha⁻¹ , with 61 % of variability attributed to rainfall differences. In moderately yielding environments, reducing plant density (from 8 to 6 or 8–4 plants m−2) had no effect on grain yield. However, significant declines were observed in high and low-yielding environments with large reductions in plant density (up to ≈20 % and 40 % declines, respectively). The highest yield stability across environments was achieved with high or medium plant density management and hybrids exhibiting high reproductive plasticity, while low-density management resulted in the lowest stability. Conclusion: The grain yield response to reduced plant density varies with the degree of reduction and the environment, irrespective of hybrid reproductive plasticity. In this humid region without severe water limitations and for the genotypes used in this study, combining high or medium plant density with hybrids exhibiting high reproductive plasticity maximizes and stabilizes grain yields across environments with varying rainfall.
EEA Balcarce
Fil: Martinez, Dionisio Roberto. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina
Fil: Barbieri, Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina
Fil: Barbieri, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Masiero, Beatriz. Statistic Consultant in Marcos Juárez (Córdoba); Argentina
Fil: Mrozek, Fernando. ACA Semillas; Argentina
Fil: Ferraguti, Facundo Javier. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Oliveros; Argentina
Fil: Darwich, Gastón Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina
Fil: Echarte, Laura. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina
Fil: Echarte, Laura. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina
Fil: Echarte, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fuente
Field Crops Research 335 : 110199. (January 2026)
Materia
Maíz
Rendimiento
Granos
Manejo del Cultivo
Espaciamiento
Factores Ambientales
Maize
Yields
Grain
Crop Management
Spacing
Environmental Factors
Densidad de Plantación
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso restringido
Condiciones de uso
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Repositorio
INTA Digital (INTA)
Institución
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
OAI Identificador
oai:localhost:20.500.12123/25661
Acceder
id INTADig_452da682fa519846783263a340a35d35
oai_identifier_str oai:localhost:20.500.12123/25661
network_acronym_str INTADig
repository_id_str l
network_name_str INTA Digital (INTA)
spelling Maximizing maize grain yield stability through integrated management of plant density and hybrid reproductive plasticityMartinez, Dionisio RobertoBarbieri, PabloMasiero, BeatrizMrozek, FernandoFerraguti, Facundo JavierDarwich, Gastón AlejandroEcharte, LauraMaízRendimientoGranosManejo del CultivoEspaciamientoFactores AmbientalesMaizeYieldsGrainCrop ManagementSpacingEnvironmental FactorsDensidad de PlantaciónContext: The plant density that maximizes grain yield is influenced by environmental conditions and the hybrid’s sensitivity to low resource availability and reproductive plasticity. Rainfall variability across seasons introduces uncertainties in determining optimal plant density, even in humid regions with typically high-yielding environments. Objective: This study aimed to identify management strategies that integrate plant density and genotypes with varying reproductive plasticity levels to maximize grain yield and stability across environments with differing rainfall in a humid temperate area where maize is commonly grown. Methods: This study involved experiments conducted across multiple locations and seasons, testing combinations of three plant densities (8, 6, and 4 plants m⁻²) with three hybrids exhibiting contrasting reproductive plasticity (high prolificacy, high ear flex, and moderate prolificacy with ear flex). Stability analyses were performed using Eberhart and Russell, Shukla, and Genotype by Environment (GGE) biplot methods. Results: The environments in this study ranged from 9500 to 14000 kg ha⁻¹ , with 61 % of variability attributed to rainfall differences. In moderately yielding environments, reducing plant density (from 8 to 6 or 8–4 plants m−2) had no effect on grain yield. However, significant declines were observed in high and low-yielding environments with large reductions in plant density (up to ≈20 % and 40 % declines, respectively). The highest yield stability across environments was achieved with high or medium plant density management and hybrids exhibiting high reproductive plasticity, while low-density management resulted in the lowest stability. Conclusion: The grain yield response to reduced plant density varies with the degree of reduction and the environment, irrespective of hybrid reproductive plasticity. In this humid region without severe water limitations and for the genotypes used in this study, combining high or medium plant density with hybrids exhibiting high reproductive plasticity maximizes and stabilizes grain yields across environments with varying rainfall.EEA BalcarceFil: Martinez, Dionisio Roberto. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Barbieri, Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Barbieri, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Masiero, Beatriz. Statistic Consultant in Marcos Juárez (Córdoba); ArgentinaFil: Mrozek, Fernando. ACA Semillas; ArgentinaFil: Ferraguti, Facundo Javier. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Oliveros; ArgentinaFil: Darwich, Gastón Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Echarte, Laura. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Echarte, Laura. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Echarte, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaElsevier2026-04-01T12:11:36Z2026-04-01T12:11:36Z2026-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25661https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S03784290250046420378-42901872-6852https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110199Field Crops Research 335 : 110199. (January 2026)reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariaenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)2026-04-16T09:53:30Zoai:localhost:20.500.12123/25661instacron:INTAInstitucionalhttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/oai/requesttripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:l2026-04-16 09:53:31.03INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Maximizing maize grain yield stability through integrated management of plant density and hybrid reproductive plasticity
title Maximizing maize grain yield stability through integrated management of plant density and hybrid reproductive plasticity
spellingShingle Maximizing maize grain yield stability through integrated management of plant density and hybrid reproductive plasticity
Martinez, Dionisio Roberto
Maíz
Rendimiento
Granos
Manejo del Cultivo
Espaciamiento
Factores Ambientales
Maize
Yields
Grain
Crop Management
Spacing
Environmental Factors
Densidad de Plantación
title_short Maximizing maize grain yield stability through integrated management of plant density and hybrid reproductive plasticity
title_full Maximizing maize grain yield stability through integrated management of plant density and hybrid reproductive plasticity
title_fullStr Maximizing maize grain yield stability through integrated management of plant density and hybrid reproductive plasticity
title_full_unstemmed Maximizing maize grain yield stability through integrated management of plant density and hybrid reproductive plasticity
title_sort Maximizing maize grain yield stability through integrated management of plant density and hybrid reproductive plasticity
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Martinez, Dionisio Roberto
Barbieri, Pablo
Masiero, Beatriz
Mrozek, Fernando
Ferraguti, Facundo Javier
Darwich, Gastón Alejandro
Echarte, Laura
author Martinez, Dionisio Roberto
author_facet Martinez, Dionisio Roberto
Barbieri, Pablo
Masiero, Beatriz
Mrozek, Fernando
Ferraguti, Facundo Javier
Darwich, Gastón Alejandro
Echarte, Laura
author_role author
author2 Barbieri, Pablo
Masiero, Beatriz
Mrozek, Fernando
Ferraguti, Facundo Javier
Darwich, Gastón Alejandro
Echarte, Laura
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Maíz
Rendimiento
Granos
Manejo del Cultivo
Espaciamiento
Factores Ambientales
Maize
Yields
Grain
Crop Management
Spacing
Environmental Factors
Densidad de Plantación
topic Maíz
Rendimiento
Granos
Manejo del Cultivo
Espaciamiento
Factores Ambientales
Maize
Yields
Grain
Crop Management
Spacing
Environmental Factors
Densidad de Plantación
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Context: The plant density that maximizes grain yield is influenced by environmental conditions and the hybrid’s sensitivity to low resource availability and reproductive plasticity. Rainfall variability across seasons introduces uncertainties in determining optimal plant density, even in humid regions with typically high-yielding environments. Objective: This study aimed to identify management strategies that integrate plant density and genotypes with varying reproductive plasticity levels to maximize grain yield and stability across environments with differing rainfall in a humid temperate area where maize is commonly grown. Methods: This study involved experiments conducted across multiple locations and seasons, testing combinations of three plant densities (8, 6, and 4 plants m⁻²) with three hybrids exhibiting contrasting reproductive plasticity (high prolificacy, high ear flex, and moderate prolificacy with ear flex). Stability analyses were performed using Eberhart and Russell, Shukla, and Genotype by Environment (GGE) biplot methods. Results: The environments in this study ranged from 9500 to 14000 kg ha⁻¹ , with 61 % of variability attributed to rainfall differences. In moderately yielding environments, reducing plant density (from 8 to 6 or 8–4 plants m−2) had no effect on grain yield. However, significant declines were observed in high and low-yielding environments with large reductions in plant density (up to ≈20 % and 40 % declines, respectively). The highest yield stability across environments was achieved with high or medium plant density management and hybrids exhibiting high reproductive plasticity, while low-density management resulted in the lowest stability. Conclusion: The grain yield response to reduced plant density varies with the degree of reduction and the environment, irrespective of hybrid reproductive plasticity. In this humid region without severe water limitations and for the genotypes used in this study, combining high or medium plant density with hybrids exhibiting high reproductive plasticity maximizes and stabilizes grain yields across environments with varying rainfall.
EEA Balcarce
Fil: Martinez, Dionisio Roberto. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina
Fil: Barbieri, Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina
Fil: Barbieri, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Masiero, Beatriz. Statistic Consultant in Marcos Juárez (Córdoba); Argentina
Fil: Mrozek, Fernando. ACA Semillas; Argentina
Fil: Ferraguti, Facundo Javier. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Oliveros; Argentina
Fil: Darwich, Gastón Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina
Fil: Echarte, Laura. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina
Fil: Echarte, Laura. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina
Fil: Echarte, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
description Context: The plant density that maximizes grain yield is influenced by environmental conditions and the hybrid’s sensitivity to low resource availability and reproductive plasticity. Rainfall variability across seasons introduces uncertainties in determining optimal plant density, even in humid regions with typically high-yielding environments. Objective: This study aimed to identify management strategies that integrate plant density and genotypes with varying reproductive plasticity levels to maximize grain yield and stability across environments with differing rainfall in a humid temperate area where maize is commonly grown. Methods: This study involved experiments conducted across multiple locations and seasons, testing combinations of three plant densities (8, 6, and 4 plants m⁻²) with three hybrids exhibiting contrasting reproductive plasticity (high prolificacy, high ear flex, and moderate prolificacy with ear flex). Stability analyses were performed using Eberhart and Russell, Shukla, and Genotype by Environment (GGE) biplot methods. Results: The environments in this study ranged from 9500 to 14000 kg ha⁻¹ , with 61 % of variability attributed to rainfall differences. In moderately yielding environments, reducing plant density (from 8 to 6 or 8–4 plants m−2) had no effect on grain yield. However, significant declines were observed in high and low-yielding environments with large reductions in plant density (up to ≈20 % and 40 % declines, respectively). The highest yield stability across environments was achieved with high or medium plant density management and hybrids exhibiting high reproductive plasticity, while low-density management resulted in the lowest stability. Conclusion: The grain yield response to reduced plant density varies with the degree of reduction and the environment, irrespective of hybrid reproductive plasticity. In this humid region without severe water limitations and for the genotypes used in this study, combining high or medium plant density with hybrids exhibiting high reproductive plasticity maximizes and stabilizes grain yields across environments with varying rainfall.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026-04-01T12:11:36Z
2026-04-01T12:11:36Z
2026-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25661
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378429025004642
0378-4290
1872-6852
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110199
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25661
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378429025004642
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110199
identifier_str_mv 0378-4290
1872-6852
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
eu_rights_str_mv restrictedAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Field Crops Research 335 : 110199. (January 2026)
reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)
instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
reponame_str INTA Digital (INTA)
collection INTA Digital (INTA)
instname_str Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.name.fl_str_mv INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.mail.fl_str_mv tripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.ar
_version_ 1862635649902837760
score 12.692636

Publicaciones similares