EVALUATION OF MAIZE HYBRIDS UNDER LOCAL CONDITIONS OF CRAIOVA, OLTENIA REGION

Abstract

A field experiment with twelve maize hybrids was conducted at Agricultural Research and Development Station (ARDS) Simnic – Craiova during the cropping season 2015-2016. The results of present study revealed significant differences for grain yield and for all the traits except anthesis - silking interval that exhibited non-significant difference among the studied hybrids. The hybrids HSF 787-13 and HSF 825-13 took more days to anthesis (82 days) and silking (84 days), while hybrid HSF1098-13 was found early maturing, which took 74 days, to anthesis and 75 days to silking. The highest plant height of 214 cm was noted in hybrid HSF 1098-13, and the highest ear height of 81 cm was noted in HSF 787-13. The studied hybrids had a wide genetic background, thus showing grain yield ranges from 7.70 to 12.09 t/ha. The hybrids HSF 711-13 (12.09 t/ha), HSF 1223-13 (11.06 t/ha), HSF 1098-13 (10.20 t/ha) and HSF 825-13 (9.82 t/ha) had the highest grain yield, and these hybrids were found most promising, which have the potential to increase the average yield of maize in local condition of Craiova and similar growing areas.