Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2008, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (2): 485-490.DOI: 10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2008.02.028

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

EFFECTS OF ROW SPACING IN WINTER WHEAT ON CANOPY STRUCTURE AND MICROCLIMATE IN LATER GROWTH STAGE

YANG Wen-Ping1,2(), GUO Tian-Cai1,*(), LIU Sheng-Bo1, WANG Chen-Yang1, WANG Yong-Hua1, MA Dong-Yun1   

  1. 1National Wheat Engineering Technological Research Center, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
    2Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, China
  • Received:2007-01-29 Accepted:2007-07-25 Online:2008-01-29 Published:2008-03-30
  • Contact: YANG Wen-Ping,GUO Tian-Cai

Abstract:

Aims Row spacing is a cultivation technique used for many field crops, but not wheat, for which traditional row spacing of 20 cm is used regardless of spike-type wheat cultivar. Our objective was to examine the effects of row spacing on canopy structure, its microclimate and yield in heavy-ear winter wheat, Triticum aestivum.
Methods We conducted a field experiment on the farm of National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Zhengzhou, China, using heavy-ear winter wheat cultivar 'Lankao Aizao 8'. Three row spacing treatments (15, 20 and 30 cm) were used in a randomized complete block arrangement with three replications.
Important findings Leaf area index decreased and canopy openness increased with increased row spacing. Moreover, light interception at different layers, extinction coefficient, and relative humidity decreased, canopy temperature at each layer increased, and the spread of carbon dioxide was unchanged. Yield could be increased by reducing row spacing to have an even plant-to-plant distribution that could weaken competition. Our finding that 15 cm row spacing was beneficial to canopy structure and yield indicated that heavy-ear winter wheat cultivar 'Lankao Aizao 8' should not be planted in conventional 20 cm row spacing.

Key words: row spacing form, wheat, canopy structure, microclimate