The influence of the temperature, genetic specificity and seed size at early growth and development of the maize in controlled conditions

Abstract

The optimal planting terms, which contain favorable conditions for emergence and early growth, are one of the most important preconditions for achieving high grain yields. During this period, the most important environmental factors are temperature and soil moisture, which have a key role for optimal conditions needed for the young plants genotype potential expression. Beside genetic specificities which are preconditioning plant's growth and development, the seed size is one of the very important biological factors which has strong influence at faster sprouting and intensive growth within the heterotrophic stage, when seed reserves have the key role for supplying young plant with the nutrients. The tolerance of the maize hybrids at suboptimal temperatures which can frequently occur in early spring has been observed by Szundy et al. (2005) through the number of days to emergence and individual dry shoot mass. According to Pommel et al. (1995), plants developed from greater seed had higher leaf area if compared with plants from smaller seed. Gilbert et al. (1995) concluded that the dry weight of plants shoot and root is positively correlated with the seed size. Batistella et al. (2002) found out in their research that there were significant differences between hybrids and seed category and their influence at shoot and root length, together with shoot dry weight in favor of larger seed fractions. After Grzesiak (2001) smaller ratio of shoot and root length is indicating higher hybrid resistance on the induced stress. The aim of this research was to determine the influence of the temperature, genetic specificity and seed size fractions at phenologic and physiologic features of the maize in early growth.