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Role of Reflected Light in the Corn Ecosystem¹

At Urbana, Illinois, a 3-year investigation of the effect of light reflection on corn yields has shown that a white reflective ground cover gave small, consistent corn yield increases over that on uncovered ground for 16 and 24 thousand plants per acre. The average yield increases for the 3-year period were 12% and 7%, respectively. A nonreflective black ground cover provided average yield increases of 5% or less. The plastic was more effective in increasing yields when it was installed early in the season.

In recent years there has been considerable interest in the use of plastic ground covers for certain high profit horticultural crops. The data obtained in this experiment would suggest that consideration should be given to highly reflective plastic surfaces.

² Professor of Agronomy, Agronomy Dept., University of Illinois; Research Soil Scientist, USDA, and Assoc. Prof. of Soil Physics, Agronomy Dept., University of Illinois; and Asst. in Crop Production, Agronomy Dept., University of Illinois, Urbana; respectively.

Received for publication May 13, 1965.