Abstract
The use of prohexadione-calcium (ProCa) is a management alternative to mitigate greater predisposition to vegetative growth. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of ProCa in combination with two doses of nitrogen fertilizer in cover, in the morphophysiological and productive performance of corn hybrids. Experiments were performed with corn hybrids AS1757VTPRO3 and AG9025VTPRO3, in a randomized block design, factorial 2×2, with four replications. The treatments consisted of the application of nitrogen fertilizer in cover, 1x and 2x the recommended dose, and in the absence or presence of the application of ProCa. The single effect of ProCa on the hybrid AS1757VTPRO3 increased the SPAD index by 20%; in the AG9025VTPRO3 hybrid there was a reduction of 8.6 cm in the height of ear insertion and increments of 2.2 mm in the stem diameter. The application of ProCa with 2x N ha-1 increased, on average, 8.2% the number of leaves of the AS1757VTPRO3 hybrid compared to the application to 1x N ha-1. There is single effect of ProCa on morphophysiological characteristics in the tested hybrids, but without affecting its grain yield. The use of ProCa in association with 2x N ha-1 does not mitigate the vegetative growth in the genotypes, sown late in the South of Brazil.
Highlights
Corn (Zea mays L.) is one of the most consumed and produced cereals worldwide, and its productive potential is linked to factors such as the chemical composition and nutritional value of the grain
The single effect of ProCa on the hybrid AS1757VTPRO3 increased the SPAD index by 20%; in the AG9025VTPRO3 hybrid there was a reduction of 8.6 cm in the height of ear insertion and increments of 2.2 mm in the stem diameter
One technique is the use of modern hybrids coupled with modifications in plant arrangement, intensification of nitrogen fertilization, and the use of products aimed at maximizing productivity (Kolling et al, 2019)
Summary
Corn (Zea mays L.) is one of the most consumed and produced cereals worldwide, and its productive potential is linked to factors such as the chemical composition and nutritional value of the grain. In Brazil, cultivation ranges from small properties to large commercial plantations; according to Conab (2020), national production of 100.48 million tons is estimated for the 2019/2020 harvest, with average productivity of 5.5 t ha-1; obtained through the set of management techniques to achieve high productive ceilings. The recommendation of the nitrogen fertilizer dose should be as accurate as possible to express the maximum yield potential and a good cost/benefit ratio, in order to provide a lower environmental impact. Some of the beneficial effects provided by nitrogen fertilization highlight the essentiality in physiological processes, maintenance of photosynthetic activity, growth and development of reproductive sinks (Taiz et al, 2017), the increased availability of N intensifies vegetative growth and promotes undesirable adversities, such as lodging, as well as environmental adversities such as soil acidification, and contamination of the water table via leaching and erosion
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