CORN PERFORMANCE AS A FUNCTION OF SHADING AT DIFFERENT PHENOLOGICAL STAGES

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays L.) is highly sensitive to variations in light intensity, particularly during the early vegetative stages. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic performance of maize plants subjected to different shading periods across their phenological cycle. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with five shading treatments and five replicates. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), and means were compared using Tukey’s test (p<0.05). The results indicated that shading significantly influenced only plant height (PH) and shoot dry matter (SDM); other parameters, such as stem diameter and chlorophyll index, were not significantly affected. Mean comparisons revealed that shading during the V5 – V7 stages resulted in the highest SDM, suggesting that moderate light restriction in early vegetative stages may stimulate biomass accumulation. In contrast, shading at the VT stage resulted in the lowest means for both height and SDM, indicating that reduced luminosity during the tasseling stage severely compromises plant development. It is concluded that maize exhibits stage-specific responses to light stress, with shading at the VT stage being the most detrimental to height growth and biomass accumulation.