RESPONSE OF MAIZE GENOTYPES TO FERTILIZATION ON HYDROMORPHIC SOIL OF SAVA VALLEY

Growing seed-maize is more profitable than mercantile maize, but also riskier, especially under less favourable soil conditions because parents of maize hybrids are less tolerant than their progeny to environmental stress, including plant nutrition problems. For this reason, we conducted the field experiment with P and K fertilization and a range of maize genotypes (parents of seed-maize) on soil with moderate P and K supplies. Following application of 382 kg P and 726 kg K ha-1, maize grain yields increased from 1.93 t ha-1to 2.86 t ha-1(3-year means). High correlations were found between grain yields of maize genotypes and nutrient concentrations in ear-leaf at silking stage (r = 0.82** for P and r = 0.90** for K). Based on these results, we could recommend the higher P and K fertilization of seed-maize crops on soils of similar chemical properties.