Published in Scientific Papers. Series A. Agronomy, Vol. LXIX, Issue 1
Written by Sebastian Ionel VĂTĂMANU, Simona NIȚĂ, Ilinca Merima IMBREA, Lucian BOTOȘ, Ioana HÎNDA, Ștefan Laurențiu BĂTRÎNA, Florin IMBREA
The present study evaluated the effectiveness of the biological product Utrisha™ N (Methylobacterium symbioticum) on maize cultivated under real commercial farming conditions, without major changes to standard crop management practices. The experiment was conducted in 2024 at the Neudorf experimental field (Arad County, Western Romania) using a paired strip design consisting of four independent strip pairs (Utrisha N vs. untreated control), each covering 1 ha. Statistical analysis was performed using a paired t-test (n = 4). Application of Utrisha N resulted in a significant
mean grain yield increase of +461 kg ha⁻¹ (+7.0%, p < 0.001). This yield response was associated with a significant increase in chlorophyll index (+3.05 AT Leaf units, p = 0.007), indicating enhanced photosynthetic activity. The physiological benefit confirmed by chlorophyll measurements suggests a measurable and biologically relevant mechanism, supporting the scientific credibility of the treatment. Grain moisture at harvest was slightly higher in the treated variant (+0.45 percentage points, p = 0.016), indicating a marginal delay in physiological maturity. Overall, the results confirm the effectiveness of Methylobacterium symbioticum in improving maize yield performance and physiological status under the pedoclimatic conditions of Western Romania.
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{simplepopup popup="false" name="Citation75"}VATAMANU S.I., NITA S., IMBREA I.M., BOTOS L., HINDA I., BATRINA S.L., IMBREA F. 2026, PHYSIOLOGICAL AND AGRONOMIC RESPONSE OF MAIZE TO FOLIAR APPLICATION OF UTRISHA N: EVIDENCE FROM REAL FARM FIELD TRIALS IN WESTERN ROMANIA. Scientific Papers. Series A. Agronomy, Vol. LXIX, Issue 1, ISSN 2285-5785, 605-610. {/simplepopup}