EDAH increases bleeding sap intensity and grain yield of maize under high-density cultivation on saline-alkali soils in Xinjiang.

EDAH application boosts maize yield by up to 16.2% under high-density planting on saline-alkali soils through vascular and bleeding sap enhancements.

• Why it matters: High-density maize cultivation often weakens stalks and reduces yield, especially on saline-alkali soils, creating a need for growth regulators that can improve plant resilience and productivity.
• What they did: Field experiments with two maize cultivars tested three planting densities and foliar-applied EDAH, measuring vascular traits, bleeding sap, dry matter, and yield-related factors over two years.
• The result: EDAH increased vascular bundle size, bleeding sap quantity and intensity, and dry matter allocation, with bleeding sap intensity explaining over half of the yield variation, enabling higher productivity under dense planting.