Climatic Conditions Varied by Planting Date Affects Maize Yield in Central China

Climatic factors have substantial effects on maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield (GY). This study was conducted to distinguish the effects and identify the optimal climatic factors for dry matter (DM) accumulation and GY. Three seasons, that is, spring maize (SpM), summer maize (SuM), and autumn maize (AuM) were divided in central China by a 2‐yr field experiment. Spring maize grown under lower mean temperature (MT) with higher precipitation (Pr) before silking, however, high temperature stress (killing degree days [KDD]) were easily encountered after silking. Summer maize encountered higher MT and KDD, and less Pr through whole growth period. Climatic conditions of AuM were contrary to SpM. The KDD played a negative role on GY due to the negative affect of DM, ear kernels number (EKN), kernel weight (KW). Grain yield had positive relationships with Pr (180–400 mm), which played positive affect EKN and KW. Accumulated solar radiation (Ra) had compensating effects on EKN and KW, so it did not affect GY. The optimum MT for EKN was 20 to 27°C and Pr was 179 to 302 mm before silking, while those for KW were 23 to 27°C and 152 to 216 mm, respectively, after pollination. Spring maize grown under optimal climatic conditions as less KDD (–16.2 to –70.4%) and more Pr (+26.0 to +28.6%) outyielded SuM and AuM (+23.1 to +23.6%) by the notably higher DM, EKN, and KW. Temperature significantly affected maize DM, EKN, KW, and, ultimately GY, with SpM outyielding SuM and AuM in central China. Core Ideas Climatic variables related to temperature had prominent influence on maize dry matter accumulation, grain yield and its components, in comparison with solar radiation and precipitation. The optimized daily mean temperature for ear kernel number were 20 to 27°C with precipitation of 179 to 302 mm in vegetative stage, while those for kernel weight were 23 to 27°C and 152 to 216 mm, respectively, in reproductive stage. Spring maize, grown under a relative lower daily mean temperature, killing degree days and higher accumulated precipitation, outyielded than summer maize and autumn maize, owed to summer maize easily accumulated higher killing degree days and climatic variation of autumn maize were opposite to spring maize.