Effect of weather conditions on the content of sugars in plants of european maize cultivars grown for silage

Abstract

The paper presents the results of a study from the years 2009-2011, aimed at the determination of the effect of the temperature and rainfall conditions of central-east Poland on the content of dry matter and sugars in plants of selected European maize cultivars grown for silage. Two factors were analysed in the experiment: A. Time of harvest of maize green forage: I – stage of panicle formation (75% of plants in that stage of growth), II – stage of milky ripeness (after three weeks), III – stage of waxy ripeness (after another three weeks), and B. Cultivars with differing duration of the period of vegetation: Pyroxenia – very early cultivar, FAO 130, Codimi – early cultivar, FAO 200, Moschus – early cultivar, FAO 220, Alombo – early cultivar, FAO 230, Celive – medium early cultivar, FAO 245. The following parameters were assayed in the plant material: content of dry matter, starch, soluble sugars, and reducing sugars. The results obtained allow to state that the weather conditions in the years of the experiment significantly differentiated the content of sugars in maize plants. Green forage of maize cultivars Codimi, Pyroxenia and Alombo harvested in the stage of waxy ripeness in 2010, a year with the highest precipitation total, was characterised by the highest content of starch.

Keywords

• maize
• cultivars
• time of harvest
• content of sugars
• weather conditions