Published in Scientific Papers. Series A. Agronomy, Vol. LXV, Issue 2
Written by Lucian-Constantin HARAGA, Viorel ION
Maize is the most grown crop in Romania (2.68 million ha in 2020 according to FAO database), this being used widely in human food and in animal feed. The history of hybrid maize in Romania is impressive starting in 1957 when the first foreign double cross hybrids were cultivated. The first double cross hybrids produced nationally were HD 208 and HD 405 registered in 1962 and 1963 respectively, which lead to their widespread use in only 7 years. The aim of this study was to evaluate how the registration of the new maize hybrids has evolved over time in Romania in term of number and type of hybrid and to see if there is any correlation between the increase of the average annual temperature and the maturity group of these hybrids. The study led to the following main conclusions: the tendency in the last time was a reduction close to 0 of double-cross hybrids registered; there is a clear direction towards registration of single-cross and trilinear hybrids with higher productivity and heterosis effects closer to 1; there is a massive increase of newly registered hybrids following Romania’s entry in E.U. in 2007; there is an increase of the number of new hybrids registered in the intermediate and late FAO groups and a fast decrease in the last 10 years of the ones in extremely early and early groups; there is an increase in the registration of late hybrids which is correlated with the increase of annual average temperature in Romania, this leading to an increase in yield without any early freeze risk.
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