Evaluation of maize hybrids types harvested at the similar stage of maturity

Abstract

The objective of the experiments was to compare types of maize hybrids harvested at the similar stage of maturity, between one and two thirds of the milk line stage of grain. The study involved 9 hybrids with different parameters that were grown during a period of three subsequent years in two locations with different level of precipitation. Differences in terms of the content of dry matter between the hybrids at different timing of harvests were small (323 ± 22 g/kg), showing no statistical significance (P = 0.34). Comparing the early maturity hybrids with the medium early hybrids (P < 0.05), the former showed a lower content of starch (299 g/kg dry matter (DM)), and the latter showed a slightly higher value (312 g/kg DM) – while the measured proportion of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) among these two hybrids was 453 vs. 428 g/kg DM. Comparing the measured value of the normally ripening hybrids against the stay-green hybrids, the starch was 314 vs. 294 g/kg DM, and NDF was 434 vs. 451 g/kg DM, respectively. As for the comparison between the flint (vitreous) type of grain endosperm vs. dent (floury), measured value of the starch was 298 vs. 323 g/kg DM, and NDF was 451 vs. 427 g/kg DM, respectively.