Response of maize (Zea mays L.) to soil water deficit at specific growth stages

Abstract

An investigation was carried out at Rimski Šančevi experiment field of Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad in the period 1997-2007, aiming to determine the sensitivity of maize to soil water deficit at specific growth stages. The values of yield response factor (ky) were derived from the linear relationship between relative seasonal evapotranspiration deficit (1-ETa/ETm) and relative yield loss (1-Ya/Ym). The obtained results indicate that in the climatic conditions of Vojvodina maize is the most sensitive to water stress in the stage of flowering and fertilization (ky 0.49), but less sensitive by the beginning and at the and of growing season in the stage of vegetative growth (ky 0.46) and grain filling and maturity (ky 0.43). Values of yield response factor in the growing period (ky 0.65) indicate that maize is moderate sensitive to soil water stress in the climatic conditions of Vojvodina.

Eksperimentalna istraživanja uticaja deficita lakopristupačne vode u zemljištu u određenim podperiodima vegetacije kukuruza su obavljena na oglednom polju Naučnog instituta za ratarstvo i povrtarstvo iz Novog Sada, na Rimskim Šančevima u periodu od 1997-2007. godine. Vrednosti koeficijenta opadanja prinosa (ky) su obračunate iz odnosa relativnog opadanja prinosa (1-Ya/Ym) i relativnog deficita evapotranspiracije (1-ETa/ETm). Rezultati istraživanja ukazuju da je kukuruz u klimatskim uslovima Vojvodine najosetljiviji na deficit vode u zemljištu u periodu cvetanje oplodnja (ky 0,49), a manje na početku i kraju vegatacije, u periodu vegetativnog porasta (ky 0,46) i periodu nalivanja zrna i sazrevanja (ky 0,43). Vrednosti koeficijenta opadanja prinosa u periodu vegetacije (ky 0,65) ukazuju da je kukuruz umereno osetljiv na deficit vode u zemljištu u klimatskim uslovima Vojvodine.