Roots play major roles in plant anchorage, water and nutrient uptake, crop growth and yield. Knowledge regarding yield responses to root spatial distribution is still limited in maize. Here we designed three plant densities in the tube and in the field, respectively. The tube study included plant densities of 1, 2, and 3 plants tube^–1 and field study included 50025 (D50025), 67500 (D67500), and 100050 (D100050) plants ha^–1, with two row spacings in D50025 (60 and 80 cm), three row spacings in D67500 (40, 60, and 80 cm), and two row spacings in D100050 (40 and 60 cm). With increased plant density and decreased row spacing grain yield improved, but root size and root biomass per plant decreased. Root dry weight per plant increased by 25–32 % at D50025 and decreased by 29–38 % at D100050 compared to D67500. Horizontally, reducing row spacing increased inner roots and reduced outer roots. There were significant correlations of yield with inner (R² = 0.603** for D67500) and outer (R² = −0.544* for D67500) root dry matter. Vertically, reducing row spacing increased root dry weight and most of the roots were distributed in the top 0–10 cm soil layer. Overall, high plant density inhibited root growth, but narrow row spacing compensated this inhibition to some extent by optimizing root distribution, thus increasing grain yield. Horizontal root distribution had a greater effect on grain yield than vertical distribution under high density condition, which alleviated inter-plant root competition and increased yield.

根在植物固着，水和养分吸收，作物生长和产量中起主要作用。关于玉米对根系空间分布的产量响应的知识仍然有限。在这里，我们分别在试管和田间设计了三种植物密度。试管研究包括1、2和3株植物^–1的植物密度，而实地研究包括50025（D50025），67500（D67500）和100050（D100050）ha ^–1的植物。，在D50025（60和80厘米）中具有两个行间距，在D67500（40、60和80厘米）中具有三个行间距，在D100050（40和60厘米）中具有两个行间距。随着植物密度的增加和行距的减小，谷物产量得到改善，但每株植物的根系大小和根系生物量却减少了。与D67500相比，D50025的单株根系干重增加了25–32％，而D100050则降低了29–38％。在水平方向上，减小行距会增加内根，减少外根。产量与内部（D67500的R ² = 0.603 **）和外部（R ²）显着相关。= -0.544 *（对于D67500）根干物质。在垂直方向上，减小行距会增加根的干重，并且大多数根都分布在0-10 cm的土壤顶层。总体而言，高植物密度抑制了根系生长，但狭窄的行距通过优化根系分布在某种程度上补偿了这种抑制作用，从而提高了谷物产量。在高密度条件下，水平根系分布对谷物产量的影响大于垂直分布，这减轻了植物间根系竞争并提高了产量。