RESEARCHES ON BEHAVIOR OF TWO MAIZE HYBRIDS GROWN IN CONVENTIONAL SYSTEM IN CLIMATE CONDITIONS OF THE ROMANIAN PLAIN.

Maize, one of the most popular cereal, originates from the Central America and is very versatile, being used in various fields. It is used in food, as feed and in industry. The purpose of the paper regards the choice of hybrids which is one of the most important factors influencing the productivity and quality of the maize. The area where the crop is located influences the choice of the most suitable hybrid, as it must be selected according to the average temperature during the growing period and the type of soil. In this study, the experiments were carried out in the climate and soil conditions of Moara Domneasca Research Station. To find the right hybrid, several hybrids were selected to grow and later to compare their harvest and choose the optimal variant. To obtain the highest production of maize, the chosen hybrid should be also as resistant as possible to extreme weather conditions, such as periods of drought grown in the Romanian Plain, on a specific soil and fertilized with different doses of chemical fertilizers. The economic efficiency of the applied fertilization system was also analyzed. As a conclusion, the two hybrids tested reacted positively to chemical fertilization. The SC4140 hybrid behaved better in the non-fertilized version, achieving higher yields than the P9903 hybrid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]