Bioscience Methods 2025, Vol.16, No.1, 11-22 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/bm 12 waxy corn each have distinct characteristics that affect their performance (Zhou and Hong, 2024). Sweet corn varieties, such as those studied in Turkey, show significant differences in yield and quality traits like flowering time, plant length, and grain yield. Supersweet corn, known for its high sugar retention post-harvest, demonstrates a high potential for yield and quality, as seen in the Hybrix 39 variety, which achieved the highest wet cob yield (Özata, 2019). Waxy corn, primarily consumed as a fresh vegetable, benefits from specific nitrogen management to enhance its nutritional quality, including anthocyanin and carbohydrate content (Feng et al., 2024). The genetic diversity among these corn types allows for targeted breeding to optimize traits like sweetness, texture, and yield (Dermail et al., 2021). 2.2 Environmental conditions Environmental factors such as climate, soil type, and water supply play crucial roles in the growth and development of fresh corn. Temperature and photoperiod are strong determinants of flowering and harvest dates, impacting yield in various climates. In Zhejiang, due to the influence of temperature, fresh corn can generally be sown from March to August. However, corn sown during the one month period from mid June to mid July, due to the fact that the heading and flowering period coincides with the local high temperature or even dry season in August, causes pollen breakage, a significant decrease in seed setting rate, and the appearance of missing rows, few grains, and even bald heads in the ear, affecting yield and quality. Soil fertility and water supply also significantly influence sweet corn growth, with effective fertilization improving performance (Sidahmed et al., 2024). A case study on water stress revealed that deficit irrigation can maintain yield and quality by optimizing leaf area index and SPAD values, which are indicators of plant health and productivity (Nemeskéri et al., 2019). In subtropical environments, weather variability, particularly temperature and rainfall, affects biomass accumulation and yield, with spring conditions generally being more favorable than fall (Paranhos et al., 2023). 2.3 The role of cultivation management Cultivation management practices, including planting density, water and nutrient management, and pest and disease control, have comprehensive effects on the yield and quality of fresh corn. Proper nitrogen application is crucial for enhancing the nutritional quality of waxy corn by regulating nitrogen metabolism and carbohydrate biosynthesis (Feng et al., 2024). Studies have shown that nitrogen fertilization has a significant impact on the accumulation and content of anthocyanins in purple waxy corn kernels. Under high nitrogen levels (N2 and N3), the accumulation and content of anthocyanins were significantly higher compared to low nitrogen levels (N0 and N1) (Figure 1). This indicates that appropriate nitrogen application not only enhances crop yield but also improves the nutritional quality of purple waxy corn by regulating the accumulation of secondary metabolites. Adjusting sowing dates can mitigate adverse meteorological impacts, such as temperature and rainfall, on waxy corn yield (Heping et al., 2020). Additionally, the choice of planting density and the timing of sowing are critical, as deviations from optimal conditions can significantly reduce yield (Sidahmed et al., 2024). Effective pest and disease control are also essential to maintain high-quality yields, particularly in environments prone to stress and disease (Olsen et al., 1990). 3 Optimization of Planting Density 3.1 Relationship between planting density and yield The relationship between planting density and yield in maize cultivation is complex, involving factors such as canopy structure, light utilization efficiency, and kernel number. Increased planting density can enhance the leaf area index (LAI) and intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR), which are crucial for promoting plant growth and crop productivity. However, excessive density can lead to reduced photosynthetic capacity and yield stability due to decreased stomatal conductance and chlorophyll content (Zhang et al., 2021; Duan et al., 2024). A field study in Southeast China demonstrated that increasing plant density improved the fresh ear yield of certain sweet maize varieties without affecting grain carbohydrate concentration, although it reduced the grain-filling rate and ear length (Ye et al., 2023b). Another study highlighted that higher planting densities increased biomass and radiation use efficiency but also led to a decrease in the light extinction coefficient and harvest index, indicating a trade-off between yield and resource use efficiency (Duan et al., 2024).
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