TABLE 3.

Exploratory factor analysis results, based on varimax rotation, using the correlation matrix of select ear, growth and development, and leaf gas exchange traits measured at (A) Low and (B) High plant densities across all sweet corn hybrids at Urbana, IL in 2018–2020.

(A)
		Low density
Variable	Units	Factor 1	Factor 2	Factor 3	Communality
Ear length	cm		0.199		0.04
Recovery	%			−0.416	0.18
Tillers	No. per plant	–0.208	0.427		0.23
Flag leaf ht.	cm	0.127	0.649		0.44
LAI	–		0.793	–0.232	0.69
Fresh shoot biomass	g/plant	0.111	0.975	0.177	1.00
Anthesis-silking interval	GDD	0.153	0.295	0.271	0.18
Photosynthetic CO2 assimilation	μmol m–2 s–1	0.633	–0.224	0.681	0.92
Stomatal conductance	mol m–2 s–1	0.934		0.340	0.99
Instantaneous water use efficiency	-	−0.903	–0.181		0.86
Variance explained	%	26.5	21.8	10.3	58.6
(B)
		High density
Variable	Units	Factor 1	Factor 2	Factor 3	Communality
Ear length	cm		0.466		0.23
Recovery	%	–0.276	0.545	–0.351	0.50
Tillers	No. per plant		0.428		0.19
Flag leaf ht.	cm		0.763	0.183	0.62
LAI	–	–0.228	0.852		0.79
Fresh shoot biomass	g/plant		0.730	0.142	0.55
Anthesis-silking interval	GDD		0.128	0.460	0.23
Photosynthetic CO2 assimilation	μmol m–2 s–1	0.771	–0.364	0.437	0.92
Stomatal conductance	mol m–2 s–1	0.978	–0.116	0.102	0.98
Instantaneous water use efficiency	–	−0.867		0.343	0.87
Variance explained	%	30.5	24.7	6.8	62.0

Factor loadings from variables that were >0.400 in magnitude are in bold.