Table 3 Effect of mulching treatments on root length density, root surface area density, and root dryweight density at soil layer 0–60 cm for 2022 and 2023 corn growth stages (VT and R6).

From: Practical strategies for film-side sowing technology to enhance root lodging resistance and grain yield in spring maize on the loess plateau

Year

Soil Layer

Treatment

VT

R6

Root Length

Density

(mm cm− 3)

Root Surface

Area

Density

(mm2 cm− 3)

Root Dry

Weight

Density

(g dm− 3)

Root Length

Density

(mm cm− 3)

Root Surface

Area

Density

(mm2 cm− 3)

Root Dry

Weight

Density

(g dm− 3)

2022

0–20 cm

FSS

9.04a

15.77a

0.64a

3.27a

9.71a

0.78a

UPM

7.75b

14.28b

0.47b

2.38b

7.25b

0.68b

CK

5.18c

10.85c

0.38c

1.70c

5.69c

0.52c

20–40 cm

FSS

2.13a

9.50a

0.08a

1.59a

1.33a

0.06a

UPM

1.9b

5.92b

0.06b

1.33b

0.92b

0.06a

CK

1.78b

4.11c

0.04c

1.15c

0.81b

0.03b

40–60 cm

FSS

0.66a

4.98a

0.05a

0.61a

0.65a

0.03a

UPM

0.51b

3.86b

0.04ab

0.43b

0.44b

0.02a

CK

0.36c

2.78c

0.03b

0.31b

0.23c

0.02a

2023

0–20 cm

FSS

11.48a

16.56a

0.78a

8.18a

12.49a

0.63a

UPM

11.52a

13.54b

0.52b

6.67b

10.83b

0.62a

CK

8.74b

11.57c

0.41c

5.09c

7.74c

0.35b

20–40 cm

FSS

2.51a

9.01a

0.63a

2.03a

3.05a

0.07a

UPM

2.07b

6.90b

0.43b

1.66b

2.33b

0.05b

CK

1.13c

5.86c

0.27c

1.48c

1.17c

0.03c

40–60 cm

FSS

0.67a

4.51a

0.07a

0.71a

0.73a

0.03a

UPM

0.52b

3.35b

0.05b

0.59b

0.59b

0.02a

CK

0.44c

2.18c

0.05b

0.37c

0.38c

0.02a

Year

*

ns

*

**

**

*

Soil Layer

**

*

**

*

*

**

Treatment

*

ns

ns

**

*

*

Year × Soil Layer

ns

*

**

*

ns

**

Year × Treatment

**

**

ns

ns

**

ns

Soil Layer × Treatment

**

ns

**

*

**

*

  1. VT, tasseling stage; R6, physiological maturity stage. Means with different letters in the same column are significantly different at P < 0.05. NS: not significant; * significant at the 0.05 probability level; ** significant at the 0.01 probability level.
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