El. knyga: Physiological Bases for Maize Improvement

About the Editors ix Contributors xi Preface xiii Is There a Niche for Physiology in Future Genetic Improvement of Maize Yields? 1(14) Gustavo A. Slafer Maria E. Otegui Worldwide Importance of Maize 1(2) Trends in Population Growth and Maize Yields 3(3) Genetic Contributions to Gains in Maize Yields 6(3) A Niche for Crop Physiology in Maize Breeding 9(2) Concluding Remarks 11(4) Improving Maize Grain Yield Potential in a Cool Environment 15(16) Matthijs Tollenaar Jiangang Wu Introduction 15(3) Resource Capture and Utilization 18(5) Stress Tolerance and Stand Uniformity 23(3) Conclusions 26(5) Processes Affecting Maize Grain Yield Potential in Temperate Conditions 31(16) James R. Kiniry Maria E. Otegui Introduction 31(1) Setting Number of Seeds per Ear 31(6) Importance of Stored Carbohydrate for Yield Production with Late-Season Stress 37(3) Mechanisms of Seed Weight Determination in Maize 40(2) Conclusions 42(5) Improving Maize Grain Yield Potential in the Tropics 47(12) Russell C. Muchow Introduction 47(1) Determinants of Potential Yield 48(4) Benchmarking Maize Yield Potential 52(2) Opportunities for Improvement in Maize Grain Yield Potential 54(1) Conclusions 55(4) Factors Affecting Kernel Number in Maize 59(16) Fernando H. Andrade Alfredo G. Cirilo Laura Echarte Introduction 59(1) Critical Period for Kernel Number Determination 60(1) The Relationship Between Kernel Number and Plant Growth Rate 61(1) Nitrogen and Water 62(4) Duration of the Critical Period for Kernel Set 66(2) Other Factors Affecting Kernel Set 68(2) Conclusions 70(5) Maize Improvement for Drought-Limited Environments 75(38) Gregory O. Edmeades Marianne Banziger Jean-Marcel Ribaut Introduction 75(1) The Target Environment 76(1) Conceptual Framework 77(2) Drought Stress and Stages of Growth 79(4) Earliness, Yield Potential, and the Selection Environment 83(1) The Use of Drought-Adaptive Secondary Traits in Breeding 84(6) Selection in Elite Tropical Germplasm for Tolerance to Drought During Flowering and Grain Filling 90(11) Recent Trends 101(3) Conclusions: An Effective Strategy for Improving Drought Tolerance in Maize 104(9) Strategies to Maintain Ovary and Kernel Growth During Drought 113(26) Mark E. Westgate Introduction 113(1) Ear and Ovary Growth Prior to Pollination 114(2) Ovary Growth During Pollination 116(6) Kernel Growth After Pollination 122(10) Conclusions 132(7) Variation in Apical Dominance and Its Implications for Herbivory Resistance, Competitive Ability, and Biomass Partitioning 139(18) Victor O. Sadras Introduction 139(3) Apical Dominance and Herbivory Resistance 142(6) Apical Dominance and Competitive Ability 148(1) Apical Dominance, Herbivory Resistance, and Competitive Ability 148(2) Meristem Allocation: A Tool to Analyze Crop Growth 150(2) Conclusion 152(5) Breeding Maize to Face Weed Problems 157(10) Claudio M. Ghersa Introduction 157(1) Weed Interference 158(1) Management Scenarios and Strategies 158(1) Crop Design 159(4) Concluding Remarks 163(4) Use of Simulation Models for Crop Improvement 167(24) Anthony Hunt Introduction 167(2) The Crop Improvement Process 169(4) Planning: Yield Potential 173(4) Planning: Yield Gaps 177(3) Line Evaluation 180(4) Concluding Comments 184(7) Recent Research on Maize Grain Yield in Argentina 191(14) Gustavo A. Maddonni Jorgelina Carcova Maria E. Otegui Gustavo A. Slafer Introduction 191(1) Breeding Effects on Maize Kernel Number Determination 192(3) Pollination Synchrony and Maize Kernel Number 195(1) Water Deficit 196(6) Conclusions 202(3) Index 205

Gustavo A Slafer, Maria E Otegui