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Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (24): 8-19.doi: 10.11924/j.issn.1000-6850.casb2025-0021

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Effect of Foliar Exogenous ABA on Grain Yield and Quality of Different Maize Varieties Under Different N Rates

ZHANG Panpan1(), SHAO Yunhui1(), MU Weilin1, GUO Hanxiao1, HAN Linlin2, LI Chuan1, ZHANG Meiwei1, ZHAO Shuangsuo3, HU Yanqi4, SONG Jianhua5, QIAO Jiangfang1()   

  1. 1 Cereal Crops Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002
    2 Henan Qiule Seeds Technology, CO. LTD, Zhengzhou 450002
    3 Sanmenxia Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanmenxia, Henan 472000
    4 Agricultural Technology Extension Center of Wuyang County, Luohe, Henan 462400
    5 Zhoukou Vocational and Technical College, Zhoukou, Henan 466000
  • Received:2025-01-02 Revised:2025-05-21 Online:2025-08-25 Published:2025-09-05

Abstract:

To explore the effect of plant endogenous hormone abscisic acid (ABA) on maize grain quality under nitrogen reduction conditions, a field experiment was carried out in the experimental base of Xihua County Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Zhoukou City, Henan Province. Four major summer maize cultivars, including ‘ZD958’, ‘LP638’, ‘YF303’ and ‘QL368’, were selected as experimental materials, and three N application of 225, 180 and 90 kg/hm2, and two foliar ABA treatments of no foliar ABA and foliar ABA were setup. The effect of foliar ABA under the different nitrogen fertilization on the grain yield and quality among the varieties was researched. The results showed that the grain yield reduced under the nitrogen fertilization reduction, and spraying ABA had no significant effect on yield. ‘QL368’ had the lowest yield of 8.62 t/hm2. The yield of ‘YF303’ treated with normal nitrogen without ABA was the highest, and there was no significant difference between ‘YF303’ treated with normal nitrogen and ABA. The total starch content and yield were the highest at 225 kg/hm2, which were 74.96 % and 7.08t/hm2 respectively, same trend as the amylopectin content among the nitrogen treatments. It had no effect on the protein yield and gliadin, glutenin and crude fat content among N treatments. Foliar ABA decreased the grain starch and its component content and yield, protein yield, and crude fiber content. ‘YF303’ had the highest starch and its component content and yield, and ‘QL368’ had the highest protein content and protein but lowest crude fiber content. Among the treatments, under N application of 225 kg/hm2 and foliar ABA, ‘YF303’ had the highest total starch content and yield, amylopectin and protein yield. Thus, in this condition, N application 225 kg/hm2 and foliar 40 mg/L ABA solution 2000 L/hm2 3 d after silking could increase grain yield, total starch content, and starch, amylopectin and protein yield of ‘YF303’, therefore resulting in high yield and quality in the maize productions.

Key words: summer maize, N application, abscisic acid (ABA), grain yield, grain quality