Table 2.
Maize crop development (day) under different mulch plots during 2013–2014 at the Dryland Agricultural Research Station, Pengyang County, China.
| Year | Treatments | Sowing-Emergence | Emergence- Jointing | Jointing-Trumpeting | Trumpeting- Tasseling | Tasseling- Blooming | Blooming-Milking | Milking-Maturity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | FCM | 7 | 28 | 21 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 65 | 153 |
| FLM | 10 | 30 | 20 | 22 | 4 | 10 | 59 | 155 | |
| FLSM | 5 | 26 | 20 | 20 | 4 | 8 | 66 | 149 | |
| PM | 5 | 28 | 18 | 21 | 4 | 11 | 65 | 152 | |
| CK | 13 | 34 | 23 | 25 | 5 | 11 | 54 | 165 | |
| 2014 | FCM | 8 | 37 | 17 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 56 | 146 |
| FLM | 10 | 41 | 18 | 21 | 4 | 8 | 51 | 153 | |
| FLSM | 6 | 39 | 16 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 58 | 146 | |
| PM | 8 | 39 | 17 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 56 | 146 | |
| CK | 14 | 44 | 20 | 22 | 4 | 10 | 44 | 158 |
CK, the control, conventional flat planting without plastic film mulch; PM, flat planting with maize rows (60 cm spacing) on plastic film mulch (70 cm wide); FCM, furrow planting of maize (60 cm spacing), separated by consecutive plastic film-mulched ridges (each 50 cm wide and 15 cm tall); FLSM, furrow planting of maize (60 cm spacing), separated by alternating large and small plastic film-mulched ridges (large ridges: 70 cm wide and 15 cm tall, small ridges 50 cm wide and 10 cm tall); FLM, furrow-flat planting of maize (60 cm spacing) with a large plastic film-mulched ridge (60 cm wide and 15 cm tall) alternating with a flat plastic film-mulched space (60 cm wide).