THE RESPONSE OF SOME MAIZE HYBRIDS AT DIFFERENT SOWING SEASON IN THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF THE TRANSYLVANIA PLATEAU

Abstract

In Romania, maize is one of the most important crops, it is cultivated on around 2.5 million hectares, which remained the most important crop with a share of 47.6% of the area cultivated for cereals and 30% of the overall area cultivated. Climatic conditions are the main factors that determine the production of a crop, this fact being also observed in the results obtained in the period 2021-2022, the difference between the two years of research being particularly given by the precipitation during the growing season. The maize crop was affected significantly by drought and high temperatures from a climatic perspective, both experimental years were considered less favorable for maize. Advancing the sowing date in order to avoid high temperatures as well as the water deficit during the reproduction period did not have the expected results against production obtained after sowing the crop earlier was reduced by 1648 kg/ha compared to the one obtained in the sowing season considered optimal for the Transylvanian Plateau this difference being statistically assured as very significant negative.