IMPACT OF SEEDING SYSTEM ON THE MAIZE GRAIN YIELD

Sa？etak This paper presents the results of the study of differences in maize grain yield and set of plants by using two seeding systems: standard seeding and in twin rows. For standard seeding, the OLT PSK 4 seeder was used, and for twin row seeding, the MaterMacc Twin Row 2 seeder was used. Research was carried out at the experimental field of the Agricultural faculty from Osijek, near Klisa during 2017, which was characterized as a dry year (less precipitation and higher average temperatures through a multi-annual average). The seeding was conducted with the Pioneer hybrid (FAO group 480) P9911 at 70 cm spacing between rows at standard seeding and a twin row seeding system using 22 cm spacing between twin rows and 48 cm between main rows. Three theoretical sets of plants in both seeding systems were used. Both of the seeding machines achieved very good seeding quality and there are no major differences in seeding indexes (MULT; QFI and MISS) between laboratory and field conditions, and between seeding machines. High QFI indexes were achieved in all treatments (from 92.04 to 99.51%), except in MM3P treatment, where this index was very low (82.24%). By comparing the yield differences between seeding systems, it is concluded that twin row seeding system achieves higher yield by 2.44% for the first theoretical set of plants, and 7.09% for the second set of plants. Differences in the third theoretical set of plants are not so expressed because MM3P treatment producers a considerably lower set of plants