TITLE:
Emergence and Seedling Characteristics of Maize Native to the Southwestern US
AUTHORS:
Jennifer M. Bousselot, Deborah Muenchrath, Allen D. Knapp, Jean D. Reeder
KEYWORDS:
Native American Maize Landraces, Emergence from Depth, Mesocotyl Length, Radicle
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.8 No.6,
May
23,
2017
ABSTRACT: Locally
adapted maize landraces, which are associated with Native American groups, were
traditionally planted deeply, reportedly up to 45 cm deep. Crop resources such
as these should be evaluated for possible use in future sustainable farming
practices. Cold temperatures often delay maize (Zea mays L.) planting in the Corn
Belt, possibly reducing yield potential, and spring frost and hail can damage
early plantings. If producers could plant deeper and earlier in the spring, the
planting season period could be extended and the potential for frost damage
reduced because the growing point would be insulated below the soil surface for
a longer period of time. The emergence capabilities of eleven Native American
landraces were evaluated at various planting depths and compared to one Corn
Belt line, BSSS-53. Emergence from depths between 5 and 45 cm was evaluated in
a growth chamber study. Seedling dry matter partitioning and morphological
characteristics were also examined. A field study was then performed to further
test those landraces that successfully emerged (≥ 75%) from the 25 cm depth in the growth chamber. Results indicate that
some of the evaluated Native American landraces have a greater capacity to
emerge from depth than BSSS-53. Emergence capacity was not related to initial
seed weight. Mesocotyl elongation largely accounted for successful emergence
from greater planting depths. The landraces partitioned relatively more dry
matter to roots than shoots compared to BSSS-53. These results suggest that
several of these Native American landraces may be useful for the development of
maize varieties more tolerant to deep planting.