Characteristics of the annual distribution and utilization of climate resource for double maize cropping system in the middle reaches of Yangtze River

Abstract

: Clarifying the characteristics of annual yield, distribution, and utilization of climatic resources, and establishing rational quantitative indexes of annual climatic resource distribution are helpful to provide theoretical basis for establishing the double maize cropping system. In this study, to analyze the annual grain yield, biomass, and distribution and utilization efficiency of climate resource of double maize cropping system with different variety collocation, the experiment was conducted from 2015 to 2017 at Wuxue, Hubei province. The distribution and utilization of climatic resource of different variety collocation the other variety collocation, but on the contrary in the second season. The accumulative temperature and radiation distribution rate for the first season of HM was 49% and 52%, respectively. The accumulative temperature and radiation distribution rate for the second season of HM was 46% and 44%. The accumulative ratio of temperature and radiation between two seasons of HM was 1.1 and 1.2. The precipitation distribution rate of two seasons and annual among the four variety collocations were no significantly different. The difference of the accumulative temperature and radiation among different variety collocations resulted in the changes of grain yield and biomass. Because of a high matching degree between the distribution of climatic resource and the growth demand of maize in HM. The annual grain yield and total biomass of HM were significantly higher than those of the MM, MH, and LH, with an average increase of 8.4%–24.5% and 9.7%–29.6%, respectively. The annual accumulative temperature and radiation, radiation use efficiency of grain, and total biomass of HM were significantly higher than those of the MM, MH, and LH, with an average increase of 2.9%–14.3% in the annual accumulative temperature production efficiency, 5.5%–18.4% in the annual radiation production efficiency, 0.05%–0.16% and 0.16%–0.39% increase in the radiation use efficiency of grain and total biomass, respectively. Considering both yield and resource use efficiency, HM can be used as the best variety collocation for high yield and high efficiency of double maize system in the middle reaches of Yangtze River. Furthermore, this is helpful to extend double maize system, optimize the layout of planting patterns, provide theoretical basis and important support the sus-tainable development of agricultural production.