Evaluating the Response of Maize Hybrids to Nitrogen Fertilizer

Abstract

The response of maize hybrids to nitrogen fertilizer as a hereditary character was investigated. A hybrid combination with the original parental inbreds with a strong response to nitrogen fertilizer was developed for this purpose (according to the studies conducted in 2012–2014). The growth of the vegetative part and root system mass of plants in maize lines and hybrids at the five-leaf stage, height, and yield of green mass and grain were taken as criteria for evaluating the response. The hybrid combination obtained by breeding showed significantly higher growth of green mass of plants and mass of the root system at the five-leaf stage during testing in 2015–2019. The increase was respectively 2.12 and 0.37 g under nitrogen fertilization. It was demonstrated that the hybrid Eksperimental’nyi was of greater growth in plant height (4 cm), significantly higher increase in green mass yield (2.8 t/ha), and grain yield (0.24 t/ha) compared to the control Mashuk 355 MV. The new hybrid used nitrogen more efficiently to create additional protein, whose content in grain increased by 0.93%, which was 0.42% higher than in the hybrid Mashuk 355 MV. The specific response of the hybrid combination of maize to nitrogen fertilizer was proven, which is directly associated with the genotype characteristics inherited from the parental inbreds. The selection of a starting material with a heavy response to nitrogen fertilizer and its application in hybridization made it possible to obtain the hybrid combination Eksperimental’nyi. It was superior to the hybrid Mashuk 355 MV in nitrogen response. These results were used to evaluate the starting material and its selection in developing efficient maize hybrids responsive to nitrogen fertilizer.