DETERMINATION OF GRAIN YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF SOME MAIZE (Zea mays L.) CULTIVARS UNDER KAYSERI CONDITIONS

Maize (Zea mays L) is an important cereal widely used in human and animal nutrition. This study aimed to determine the grain yield, yield components and quality characteristics of some maize cultivars. The study was conducted in Erciyes University Agricultural Research and Application Centre experimental field in 2019, according to the randomized block design with 3 replications. 928 HP F1, DKC 7240, Hiva F1, Kerbanis, Kilowatt, Klosseus, Kontigos, NK Vitorino, Simpatico, Sy Antex, Sy Dracma and Sy Inove maize cultivars were used as material. According to the results of analysis of variance, the differences among the cultivars in terms of ear diameters, ear weight, number of kernels per ear were found statistically significant at 1% level, while the differences in ear length, kernel weight in ear, thousand kernel weight, grain yield and seed protein content were found statistically significant at 5% level. As a result of the research, ear length varied between 18.89 cm (Simpatico) and 21.64 cm (Kilowatt), ear diameters between 44.05 mm (Simpatico) and 53 mm (DKC 7240), number of kernels per ear between 579.5 (Simpatico) and 710.43 (928 HP F1), kernel weight in ear between 164.43 g (Simpatico) and 248.13 g (Kontigos), ear weight between 28. 92 g (Simpatico) and 63.87 g (Klosseus), grain yield between 1174.38 kg/da (Simpatico) and 1772.17 kg/da (Kontigos), 1000-kernel weight between 272.85 g (Simpatico) and 331.91 g (Hiva F1), and seed protein content between 6.02% (Sy Dracma) and 7.71% (Simpatico).