Influence of genotype, climatic factors and sowing time on maize yield and water release rate

The objective of this paper was to determine the optimal sowing periods for maize in alluvial soil in the semiarid conditions of the southern of Serbia during two successive growing seasons of six maize genotypes from three FAO ripening groups and three sowing periods. Different climatic conditions, temperatures, and amounts of precipitation levels during the examined research period, as well as different sowing periods, had a significant effect on grain yield and yield characteristics variation. The 2014 growing season was more favorable due to a well-distributed rainfall pattern during the critical stages of maize growth, which positively affected thousand-kernel weight and grain yield. Grain yield was significantly higher in 2014 compared to 2015, which was less favorable due to high temperatures and reduced rainfall during the critical growth stages. The genotypes NS 5051 and ZP 555 demonstrated the greatest stability in the number of grains per cob during the second sowing period in the 2014 season. The greatest stability in thousand-kernel weight was achieved by genotype NS 6030 in all three sowing periods in the 2014 season. The genotypes NS 5051 and ZP 555 showed the highest stability of grain yield in all three sowing periods in 2014, and positive interaction with the environment was achieved during the second sowing period in 2015. The results indicate the need for a localized approach when selecting hybrids and adjusting optimal sowing periods to mitigate the negative effects of climate change and to get maximize yield.