ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Interaction of spatial planting arrangement and plant density on intraspecific competition in two maize cultivars
1
Field Experimental Station in Winna Góra, Institute of Plant Protection - National Research Institute, Wladyslawa Węgorka 20, 60-318, Poznań, Poland
2
Department of Weed Sciences and Plant Protection Technique, Institute of Plant Protection - National Research Institute, Władysława Węgorka 20, 60-318, Poznan, Poland
These authors had equal contribution to this work
A - Research concept and design; B - Collection and/or assembly of data; C - Data analysis and interpretation; D - Writing the article; E - Critical revision of the article; F - Final approval of article
Submission date: 2026-05-20
Acceptance date: 2026-08-20
Online pre-proof publication date: 2026-09-07
Corresponding author
Kinga Matysiak
Department of Weed Sciences and Plant Protection Technique, Institute of Plant Protection - National Research Institute, Władysława Węgorka 20, 60-318, Poznan, Poland
Department of Weed Sciences and Plant Protection Technique, Institute of Plant Protection - National Research Institute, Władysława Węgorka 20, 60-318, Poznan, Poland
HIGHLIGHTS
- Plant density significantly affected maize morphology and intraspecific competition
- Hybrid responses to high-density cultivation differed between planting systems
- Square planting improved canopy architecture and maize yield formation
- High density reduced ear traits and thousand-kernel weight
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
A three-year field study was carried out to assess the intraspecific competitiveness of selected maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars under different plant densities and spatial arrangements during the growing season. The central hypothesis posited that plant spacing, population density per unit area, and cultivar type significantly influence maize morphology and yield performance. Furthermore, these factors were expected to affect growth dynamics and the level of competition between individual plants within the same species. Intraspecific competition is closely tied to plant density, as higher population levels intensify competition for light, water, and nutrient availability. The field experiment was conducted at the Institute of Plant Protection – National Research Institute (Poland), utilizing a rigorous three-factor split-split-plot design with four replications in a randomized complete block design. The first factor included two maize cultivars, 'Wilga' and 'Wigo', which differed in their vegetation period according to the FAO maturity scale. The second factor involved plant arrangement patterns, specifically square and rectangular. The third factor was plant density, set at 5, 7, and 10.5 plants·m-² corresponding to 50.000, 70.000, and 105.000 plants per hectare, respectively. This study shows that plant spatial arrangement and population density strongly influence maize morphology, canopy structure, and yield by affecting intraspecific competition and resource use. The square planting pattern outperformed the conventional rectangular pattern, promoting more uniform canopies, better light distribution, and improved resource efficiency, resulting in more consistent yields at moderate densities. Certain hybrids performed better under high density conditions.
RESPONSIBLE EDITOR
Jolanta Kowalska
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors have declared that no conflict of interests exist.
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