Effects of spraying desiccant on dehydration characteristics and grain quality of summer maize hybrids differing in maturity

Water content of summer maize hybrids grown in China is too high at harvesting stage, which limits the development of grain mechanical harvesting technology. Spraying the desiccant can regulate physiological process of crop grain filling and reduce water content at harvest. We explored the effects of spraying the desiccant on the dehydration process, grain moisture, and grain quality of summer maize hybrids differing in maturity. Spraying the desiccants reduced dry matter accumulation in different organs of maize, with strongest reduction of middle-late maturity hybrids. Dry matter transfer to the grains of the plants and the harvest index was improved, but with no changes of grain quality. The dehydration rate of grains was positively correlated with the rate of dehydration in diffe-rent organs. The dehydration rate of grains after spraying the desiccants was significantly positively correlated with the rate of dehydration of stems and sheaths. With no negative effects on yield, spraying the desiccant increased the total dehydration rate, shortened the time from flowering to physiological maturity, and increased the time from physiological maturity to harvest, which was beneficial to the further reduction of grain moisture in the later stage. The possibility of grain mechanical harvesting was increased. The economic benefits of spraying the desiccants on mechanical grain harvest of summer maize hybrids differing in maturity were not significantly different from those of ear mechanical harvesting. The economic benefits of middle-late maturity hybrids were higher than those of early maturity hybrids. Spraying desiccant may improve the possibility of grain mechanical harvesting.