Responses of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids to sowing date, N fertiliser and plant density in different years

Abstract

The responses of Hungarian-bred maize hybrids with different vegetation periods to sowing date, N fertiliser and plant density were studied in small-plot field experiments between 2002 and 2004. The maize grain yield was highest in the early and optimum sowing date treatments (8.563 and 8.325 t ha-1) and significantly less in the late and very late treatments (7.908 and 7.279 t ha-1). The year had a substantial effect on both the yield and the grain moisture content. In a long-term maize monoculture experiment set up in 1961, the N fertiliser responses of 6 maize hybrids with different vegetation periods were investigated. Averaged over the years 2002 and 2004 the maize grain yields in the N treatments were as follows (t ha-1): N0: 4.780, N80: 7.479, N160: 8.577, N240: 8.226. The grain yield and yield stability of maize were greatest at a N rate of 160 kg ha-1. The yield response was similar in both years, but the year had a considerable effect on the yield level. The N supplies to maize plants during the vegetation period could be well characterised using a SPAD 502 chlorophyll meter in the R3 phenological stage (18-22 days after silking). The plant density responses of maize hybrids were described by fitting a quadratic function to the data of 19-22 hybrids in the years 2002-2004. The optimum plant density averaged over the hybrids was between 67,483 and 70,161 plants ha-1. The maximum yield associated with optimum plant density was 7.978 t ha-1 in 2002, 6.60 t ha-1 in 2003 and 9.37 t ha-1 in 2004. The annual patterns of plant density responses for the maize hybrids exhibited considerable differences.

Adapting maize crop to climate change

“…9). Other studies (Norwood 2001;Sarlangue et al 2007;Berzsenyi and Lap 2005;Tokatlidis et al 2011;Berzsenyi and Tokatlidis 2012) verify that improved plant yield potential is a determinant of adaptation to low plant populations. Improved plant yield potential coupled with high CYP can exist, as suggested by Tokatlidis (2001), Luque et al (2006), and Popp et al (2006) and depicted by data of Stanger and Lauer (2006).…”

“…Data over 3-4 years and two sowing dates from Norwood (2001) Other works similarly report a significant (P<0.01) negative association between plant yield potential and OP. For example, a significant negative correlation between PYP and OP(q) is computable from data of Berzsenyi and Lap (2005) including five hybrids across three seasons (r0−0.59; P< 0.08). A negative correlation between PYP and OP(D) is also computed from data of Tokatlidis et al (2011) regarding each of two sets of seven hybrids tested across two seasons, i.e., r0−0.78 (P<0.001) and r0−0.69 (P<0.007), as well as from data of Berzsenyi and Tokatlidis (2012) across three hybrids equivalent in CYP, 11 seasons, and three N-fertilizer treatments (100-300 Nkg/ha), i.e., r0−0.43 (P<0.001).…”

“…Although Duncan's (1958) method is, in part, an artifact of the estimation of OP, it approaches the differences among estimated values fiducially (Tollenaar 1992;Tokatlidis and Tsialtas 2008;Berzsenyi and Tokatlidis 2012). Indeed, strong positive correlation (P<0.001) between OP(q) and OP(D) values is drawn from the data of Berzsenyi and Lap (2005) and Luque et al (2006), as shown in Fig. 2 Plant yield potential (PYP), defined as the maximum yield per plant when any kind of stress is absent, i.e., in the absence of competition, was measured indirectly by the Yan and Wallace (1995) procedure, i.e., through the intercept of the linear regression analysis of yield per plant over plant population (Tokatlidis 2001).…”

Management of crop water under drought: a review

“…The earlier sowing date provided on average 38 % yield advantage due to better flowering and grain filling. Berzsenyi and Lap (2005) and Berzsenyi and Dang (2008) studied the effect of sowing date on maize yield in the semi-arid temperate climate of Eastern Hungary. Early sowing reduced yield stability, while late sowing resulted in lower yield potential.…”

The effect of crop species and N fertilization on soil organic matter

“…Long-term rise in atmospheric CO 2 highlights crop production regarding both adaptation and mitigation (Jolánkai et al 2005). The negative effects of climate change can be limited by changes in crops and crop varieties, improved water-management and irrigation systems, adapted plant nutrition, protection and tillage practices, and better watershed management and land-use planning (Berzsenyi and Lap 2005;Márton 2005;Sárvári 2005, Pepó 2010). The global potential of carbon sequestration through crop production, land use and soil management practices may offset one-fourth to one-third of the annual increase in atmospheric CO 2 , a most endangering GHG (Lawlor 2005).…”