INFLUENCE OF AGROTECHNICAL MEASURES ON THE FORMATION OF STRUCTURAL YIELD COMPONENTS OF MAIZE FOR GRAIN IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE WESTERN FOREST-STEPPE OF UKRAINE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/naturaljournal.17.2026.20Keywords:
maize, yield components, nitrogen-micronutrient fertilization, hybrids, weight of 1000 grains, number of grain rows, number of grains per rowAbstract
Cereal crops are the foundation of food security and an important source of feed and raw materials for industrial processing. Among them, maize for grain occupies a leading position due to its high productivity, adaptability to various soil-climatic conditions, and versatility of use. The effective formation of maize yield largely depends on its structural components – the number of grain rows per ear, the number of grains per row, and the weight of 1000 grains. These indicators determine the final productivity of plants and are closely linked to nutrient availability, varietal characteristics, and agrotechnical practices. The aim of the study was to substantiate the effectiveness of combining nitrogen fertilizers with micronutrients in maize cultivation technology by investigating their influence on the formation of yield structural elements and the productivity of hybrids. This study investigated the effect of nitrogen-micronutrient fertilization on the formation of maize yield structural components. Field experiments were conducted during 2022–2024 at TzOV “Emberika” (Ivano- Frankivsk region) on an oxidized chernozem soil, typical for the forest-steppe zone. It was found that improving mineral nutrition conditions significantly enhanced the structural elements of maize yield. In the hybrid Fernando, the number of grain rows increased from 14.3 to 16.9, grains per row from 27.7 to 34.0, and the weight of 1000 grains from 293.0 to 339.9 g. For Lauro, the values ranged from 16.1–18.9 rows, 31.9–36.3 grains per row, and 294.4–351.0 g for the weight of 1000 grains. The highest values were observed in the hybrid Acustica: 17.4–20.0 rows, 34.7–41.4 grains per row, and 308.1–369.1 g for the weight of 1000 grains. The results indicate that optimized nutrition, especially the combination of nitrogen fertilizers with micronutrients, stimulates intensive formation of generative organs, improves grain filling, and enhances dry matter accumulation, thereby increasing both productivity and grain quality. The response of hybrids was found to depend on their biological characteristics, with late-maturing hybrids showing higher structural element values. The obtained data are consistent with domestic and international research, confirming the feasibility of an integrated approach to maize nutrition to improve productivity and efficiency of grain production.
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