Yield components of apical and subapical ear contributing to the grain yield responses of prolific maize at high and low plant populations

Subapical ears are largely responsible for grain yield variations in prolific maize (Zea mays L.) grown under conditions favourable for the expression of prolificacy trait, but limited information exists on yield components contributing to yield responses. A field experiment was conducted to determine the yield components of apical and subapical ear in prolific maize after various pollination treatments at two plant populations. Hybrid Pioneer 3733 was grown in the perfect stands of 71 428 and 35 714 plants ha(-1). Three pollination treatments were carried out: (i) free pollination; (ii) subapical earshoots were covered to prevent pollination; and (iii) apical earshoots were covered to prevent pollination. Grain yields of free pollinated plants were by 50.1 % larger at low plant population (265 g per plant) than at high plant population (177 g per plant) due to a 45.3 % increase in kernels per plant, whereas 1000-kernel weight slightly increased by 3.3 %. These increased kernels per plant at low plant population were, in part, the result of kernel increments on apical ear (10.1 %), and mainly associated with kernels from subapical ears that did not occur at high plant population. At low plant population, the total grain yield per plant was reduced by 94 g (35.5 %) after the apical ear was bagged to prevent pollination, but only 52 g (19.6 %) when the subapical car was bagged. When subapical ear development was stopped at low plant population, grain yield on apical ears increased by only 3.9 % as a result of heavier 1000-kernel weights, clearly demonstrating limitations in kernel set and size. After grain development on apical ear was prevented, subapical ear enlarged to 80.3 % of maximum apical car yield because the former had, on average, 2.5 % lighter 1000-kernel weight and 17.5 % fewer kernels than the latter. Ears did not differ in row number when only apical or subapical ear was developed on plant, whereas subapical ears tended to have fewer rows than apical ears when both were present on the same plant. Our results showed that: (i) plant population affected all yield components on both apical and subapical ear except row number; (ii) the Occurrence of subapical ear is triggered by achieving maximum potential kernel set on apical ear; and (iii) subapical ear is inferior in potential grain yield to apical one even when the latter was prevented from pollination.