Abstract:

In order to study the influence of climate change on the growth and development of spring maize in Qingyang City, and take full advantage of favorable sowing time and climate resources to avoid disasters, ‘Longdan 339’, ‘Damin 3307’ and ‘Longsheng 5’ were taken as materials in Xifeng District Seed-multiplication Farm from 2018 to 2020 to conduct the experiment. Four sowing dates (April 12, April 22, May 2 and May 12) were designed for sowing by stages. By means of field investigation and meteorological data observation, the data related to the growth and development period, growth status, growth amount and meteorological elements were obtained. The results showed that when the sowing time was delayed, the growth period of ‘Longdan 339’, ‘Damin 3307’ and ‘Longsheng 5’ were shortened by 17, 17 and 11 days, respectively. The leaf area index reached the maximum during the heading to milk ripening stage, and there was significant difference among the varieties. Among them, the leaf area index of ‘Longdan 339’ was the largest, that of ‘Longsheng 5’ ranked the second, and that of ‘Damin 3307’ was the smallest. The dry matter accumulation was more in maize with suitable sowing time or by appropriately earlier sowing. With the postponing of the sowing date, the growth period of maize was shortened and the dry matter accumulation was insufficient, which could affect the yield formation. Therefore, it is necessary to adapt to local conditions and climate, and take proper early sowing to cope with the impact of climate change, so as to avoid the harm of drought in summer, increase the yield, ensure food production safety, and provide a scientific basis for exerting resource endowment and rural revitalization.

Key words: Qingyang City, climate change, sowing by stages, spring maize, growth and development period