Grain yield performance of corn in different plant arrangements

ABSTRACT Sowing arrangements composed of double-row spacing in corn can favor the interception of solar radiation by the canopy and, consequently, the yield performance of the crop. However, it is possible that the microclimate provided by this spacing, especially at high plant densities, favors the occurrence of leaf diseases. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the effect of 0.45 m and double-row spacing arrangements on the severity of foliar diseases and yield performance of corn grown in the first and second-crop seasons. Two independent experiments were conducted (with and without the fungicide fluxapyroxad + pyraclostrobin) in the first and second-crop seasons in a randomized block design arranged in a split-plot scheme with four repetitions. The plots consisted of spacing (0.45 m) and double-row (0.30 × 0.60 m), and the subplots, four plant densities (59,200, 74,000, 81,400, and 96,200 plants ha-1). In the plant density factor, in the second-crop season, there is a decrease in the severity of white spot as plant density is increased. Also, for the plant density factor, in the first-crop season, there may be a significant yield increase as the plant density is increased.