Abstract
Low temperature and cold damage are the main agrometeorological disasters which affects the spring maize in Northeast China. The response of spring maize to low temperature and cold damage is investigated, and the influence level of the obstacle type of low temperature on spring maize breeding is confirmed. Selecting Zhengdan958 species of spring maize, artificial climate laboratory is used to simulate low temperature environment as 13℃(T1), 15℃(T2) and 17℃(T3), and effects of low temperature on yield components and photosynthetic rate in the ear differentiation stage(early stage, middle stage, late stage) of spring maize are studied. Results show that yield components and photosynthetic characteristics change with similar trends after being affected by different low temperatures during the ear differentiation stage. Compared with control check, there is no significant change in ear diameter and 100-grain weight under low temperature treatment, while the ear length and the kernel numbers per panicle decreased significantly, and the weight of the panicle also has a significantly reduction. Lower temperature and longer duration lead to heavier effects. Effects of low temperature during the early stage on the kernel numbers per panicle are the heaviest, lower during middle stage and the much weaker during late stage. During the early ear differentiation stage, compared with control check, the kernel numbers per panicle are reduced significantly by 28.5%, 28.4%, 16.5%, and the weight of the panicle decrease significantly by 31.5%, 29.4%, 21.1% under T1, T2 and T3 in three days. The kernel numbers per panicle are reduced significantly by 36%, 36.6%, 28.8%, and the weight of the panicle decrease significantly by 38%, 35.8%, 23.9% in five days. The net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration and transpiration rate of leaves decrease significantly under low temperature. During the early ear differentiation stage, compared with control check, the net photosynthetic rate decrease by 36.2%, 26.5%, 24.4% under the treatment of T1, T2 and T3 in three days, and the net photosynthetic rate decrease by 63.8%, 53.3% and 47.1% in five days. The decrease of kernel numbers per panicle in spring maize caused by low temperature during the ear differentiation stage is the main cause of the yield reduction. One of the factors leading to the decrease of net photosynthetic rate is the restrictive effect of stoma of spring maize. Results above can be used as a reference for evaluating the impact of low temperature and cold damage on spring maize.