Abstract:

Not only ear traits but also stem and leaf traits play an important role in formation of maize single plant grain weight. Six maize single-cross hybrids of ‘Qiandan 16’, ‘Guidan 8’, ‘Qianhuanuo’, ‘Denghai 11’, ‘Xianyu 335’, ‘Zhengdan 958’ and two maize populations of ‘Pingtanghuang’, ‘Zhongqun 11’ were planted to study the correlation between maize agronomic traits and grain weight, and the effects of each agronomic trait on grain weight. Plant height, ear height, stem diameter and ear-leaf area were measured at the end of the growing period , and grain weight was measured after harvesting on the basis of single plant. The result shows that the stem diameter and ear-leaf area had significant correlations with grain weight in total materials while the correlations between the other traits and grain weight were unstable. In addition, stem diameter had the most stable and largest direct effects on grain weight; ear leaf area played the most important role in indirect effects of stem diameter to grain weight; stem diameter played the most important part in indirect effects of the other traits to grain weight.