Abstract: The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of different sowing methods on the sowing quality, growth, and development of corn. Therefore, a 5-year field study was conducted in an arid area near Shangxiao, Zhenyuan County, in eastern Gansu Province. The cultivation pattern was full-film mulching in double-ridge burrows. The sowing quality, growth, and development of corn sown at various densities were determined. The density was controlled by increasing or decreasing row spacing and the amount of seeds sown. The results showed that sowing methods significantly (P<0.05) affected the rates of seedling emergence and survival of corn planted under full-film mulching in double-ridge burrows. Seedling emergence was 1.9% higher under single-seed sowing than under double-seed sowing, and rate of seedling survival was 100% higher under single-seed sowing with half-row spacing than under conventional sowing. Under three-seed sowing with multiple row spacing, light transmittance at the ears and stem bottoms was 10.7% and 4.6%, respectively, significantly higher than in other treatments. The photosynthetic rate during the jointing stage and dry matter accumulation at every growth stage did not differ significantly among the treatments. Under different treatments, the magnitude of changes in seed biomass, spike-stalk biomass, leaf biomass, subtending leaf biomass, and stem biomass amounted to 3.0%, 1.3%, 0.8%, 1.4% and 4.2%, respectively, but the sowing method did not affect dry matter accumulation and distribution. Indexes such as water use efficiency, yield, and water consumption varied significantly among the treatments (P<0.05). Water consumption did not vary significantly among treatments. Compared with the yields and water-use efficiencies under conventional sowing, those under single-seed sowing with half-row spacing were increased by 2.7% and 2.1%, respectively, and those under three-seed sowing with multiple spacing were increased by 1.2% and 2.5%, respectively. Under the cultivation pattern of full-film mulching in double-ridge burrows in an arid area in eastern Gansu Province, sowing methods affected the seedling emergence of corn, but did not affect corn yield or growth and development during later growth stages. Therefore, when mechanized sowing is used, methods such as single-seed sowing with half-row spacing can be chosen. When the sowing density is increased by 17% in terms of target density, such sowing methods as three-seed sowing with multiple-row spacing can be applied, with 2 seeds sown in each hole. This method can decrease the number of sowing holes by 50%.

Key words: plastic-covered ridge and furrow, maize, emergence rate, survival rate of seedlings, growth characteristics, owing method