Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
The chlorophyll (Chl) concentration of maize was compared to its grain yield and protein content in six
different N treatments (0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg N ha-1) in a multifactorial field experiment with four
replications and a split plot design in Eastern Hungary (4733 N, 2126 E, 111 m asl) in two years (2009
and 2010). Nitrogen fertilisation significantly (p < 0.001) increased Chl content in both years. In the dry
year (2009), the Chl content did not increase as a result of N fertilisation above 120 kg N ha-1, while the
efficiency of higher N rates (150 kg N ha-1) could be shown in the wet year (2010), varying per hybrid.
The weather-induced abiotic stress effects on yield and protein content could be reduced by N
fertilisation, but this required high input costs. In 2009, both hybrids were treated with the highest N
fertiliser dose (150 kg N ha-1) in order to reach the statistically highest yield (Mv 277 hybrid 6.76 t ha-1;
Kenz hybrid 9.86 t ha-1), and protein content (Mv 277 hybrid 10.2 g per 100 g dry matter; Kenz hybrid
9.8 g per 100 g dry matter), while lower N fertiliser doses were enough in the favourable crop year of
2010. The correlation analysis results showed that weather parameters significantly influence the
closeness of correlations, but are always positive. We concluded that the on-site measurement of leaf
chlorophyll (SPAD) serves as a good indicator of the N demand of maize, as the difference between Ndeficient and adequate N treatments is thereby more easily made. Therefore, the Chl content of maize
leaf can be used effectively in developing recommendations for soil N replenishment.
Key words: Maize, fertilisation, chlorophyll concentration, protein content.
INTRODUCTION
Intensive crop nutrition is indispensable for yield
increase. Nevertheless, determination of the optimal
fertiliser dose is one of the most difficult crop production
tasks. One has to consider the nutrient management and
nutrient binding ability of the soil, whereas, the nutrient
utilisation ability and the fertiliser reaction of the produced
hybrid and the crop year effect also have to be taken into
account (D' Haene et al., 2007). Of the three macroelements (NPK), researchers considered nitrogen
fertilisation to have the highest yield increasing effect in
Vnyin et al.
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Figure 1. Monthly average of air temperature and rainfall over the 2009 to 2010 crop seasons.
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Table 1. Variance analysis results of the Chl content, yield and grain protein content of maize (2009 to 2010).
2009
Factors
Hybrids
Fertiliser
Hybrid*Fertiliser
DF
Chlorophyll content
1
5
5
51.346**
222.784***
1.316ns
2010
-1
-1
Yield(t ha )
Chlorophyll content
388.272***
18.609***
2.845ns
5.328
21.680***
4.929***
ns
Yield(t ha-1)
26.839*
13.474***
0.207ns
ns, non -significant; *, P< 0.05 P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001.
Vnyin et al.
Table 2. Coefficient of variation of the Chl content, yield and grain protein content of maize, (2009 to 2010).
Hybrids
N Fertiliser
Chlorophyll content
Mv 277
0
30
60
90
120
14.3
10.6
10.6
8.1
8.3
2009
Protein g (100 g dry matter)-1
---------CV%------2.5
3.5
2.8
4.7
0.08
150
0
30
60
90
120
150
12.7
16.9
11.4
12.4
12.2
11.7
12.0
1.1
0.6
2.1
4.8
6.7
3.0
1.5
Kenz
Yield (t ha )
Chlorophyll content
14.2
7.1
19.7
12.9
10.7
12.5
13.5
12.4
11.2
11.9
2010
Protein g (100 g dry matter)-1
---------CV%--------5.3
5.4
4.2
1.9
6.8
12.1
11.8
9.3
11.2
7.6
10.9
3.1
13.8
11.5
13.6
10.8
15.2
11.5
11.0
3.5
1.4
1.7
2.9
2.6
1.5
1.0
-1
Figure 2. Effect of different N treatments on the Chl content of maize leaves in the R1
phase (2009 to 2010). Data marked with the same letter do not significantly differ from
each other on the basis of the Duncans test.
Yield (t ha-1)
5.3
7.2
22.1
7.5
10.1
3.7
18.9
6.4
21.9
8.6
11.3
8.6
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12
2009
10
2010
O Mv 277 hybrid
10
Kenz hybrid
2
1
30
60
90
120
150
-1
O Mv 277 hybrid
Kenz hybrid
30
60
90
120
150
-1
Figure 3. Maize yield as a result of fertiliser treatments (2009 to 2010). Values are mean SD expressed as t ha-1.
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Vnyin et al.
Figure 4. Correlation between the protein content and yield of maize hybrids, 20092010.
Conclusion
In both years, N fertilisation significantly improved Chl
content, yield and grain protein content. There was a
significant difference between the examined hybrids from
the aspect of Chl content and protein content in the dry
year (2009), but yield difference was significant in both
years. The Chl content measured at the R1 growth phase
provides a reliable forecast of yield and protein content,
but the strength of this correlation differs for each hybrid
and each crop year.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was supported by the National Office for
Research and Technology NKTH 00210/2008, TMOP
4.2.1./B09/1/KONV20100007 and TMOP 4.2.2./B
10/1-2010-0024.
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