Li et al. (2025) Development of Maize Planting Method Based on Site-Specific Soil Moisture for Improving Seedling Traits in the Northern China Dryland

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Identification

• Journal: Plants
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-12-18
• Authors: Hao-Ming Li, Jialu Sun, Li Yang, Dongxing Zhang, Tao Cui, Kailiang Zhang, Xiantao He, Xinpeng Wang, Yi‐Long Wu
• DOI: 10.3390/plants14243859

Research Groups

Not specified in the provided text.

Short Summary

This study proposes and evaluates a variable sowing depth method based on soil moisture distribution for dryland maize, demonstrating significant improvements in emergence rate, seedling uniformity, and early growth traits compared to conventional planting.

Objective

• To propose and evaluate a variable sowing depth method, based on the uneven distribution of soil moisture, to improve maize seedling growth and yield potential in dryland regions.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Field-scale evaluation within dryland regions of Northern China.
• Temporal Scale: Maize seedling stage.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not explicitly mentioned; a framework for variable depth seeding was constructed.
• Data sources: Experimental observations comparing the proposed variable depth planting method against a conventional planting method (control group).

Main Results

• The proposed variable depth planting method increased the maize emergence rate by 9.31%.
• Seedling uniformity was improved by 25.29%.
• The method also raised the mean leaf number and mean plant height during the same growth period.
• The constructed framework recommends sowing maize seeds within a depth range of 5.5 to 8.5 cm, specifically at a position with a relative soil moisture of 70%.
• For drylands lacking 70% relative soil moisture within this range, seeds should be placed at the position with the highest relative soil moisture.

Contributions

• Proposes a novel, site-specific planting method that optimizes maize sowing depth based on real-time soil moisture conditions.
• Quantitatively demonstrates the effectiveness of this method in significantly improving key maize seedling traits (emergence, uniformity, growth) in dryland environments.
• Provides a practical framework that can be integrated into precision agriculture systems, promoting soil moisture-based planting technology for increased maize yield per hectare.

Funding

Not provided in the text.

Citation

@article{Li2025Development,
  author = {Li, Hao-Ming and Sun, Jialu and Yang, Li and Zhang, Dongxing and Cui, Tao and Zhang, Kailiang and He, Xiantao and Wang, Xinpeng and Wu, Yi‐Long},
  title = {Development of Maize Planting Method Based on Site-Specific Soil Moisture for Improving Seedling Traits in the Northern China Dryland},
  journal = {Plants},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.3390/plants14243859},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14243859}
}