Effects of Combining Application of Wheat Straw with Fertilization on Yield and Plant Characteristics of Summer Maize

Two years of field experiments from 2008 to 2009 were conducted to investigate the effects of wheat straw and fertilization combined application on yield components and plant characters of summer maize cultivar Zhengdan958.The results showed that compared with fertilization treatment without straw returning,the yield of no fertilization with straw returning decreased by 7.07% and 28.41% in two growth seasons,respecitily.While the yield of fertilization with straw returning increased by 12.31% and 9.51% in two growth seasons,respecitily.The treatment of fertilization with straw returning could enhance ear characteristics such as ear length,ear diameter,ear grain num-ber,1000-grain weight,etc.Meanwhile,treatment of fertilization with straw returning could improve double ear rate and decrease bare plant rate,thus significantly increase population fertile ears.