Modern trends in maize cultivation in Ukraine: National practices and international experience

This review analyses modern pathways of maize cultivation in Ukraine and benchmarks them against leading practice under climate change. The analysis is organised by soil types, moisture availability, and exposure to soil erosion, and by technology packages that combine precision agronomy, crop rotation, fertilization, plant protection, and soil tillage. Comparative evidence clarifies where conservation systems outperform inversion ploughing: no-till protects aggregate stability and curbs evaporation on light or wind-prone sites; strip-till pairs residue cover with in-row warming and banded nutrients, often delivering a high-yield compromise in the Forest-Steppe; minimum tillage remains a targeted option for heavy or carbonate soils. Yield responses depend on the preceding crops and nutrient balance, favouring diagnostics-guided NPK instead of uniform rates and underscoring agronomic fine-tuning at field scale. Irrigation systems are evaluated for technical and economic fit. Drip and subsurface drip stabilise grain formation when irrigation is scheduled appropriately, while regulated-deficit sprinklers can raise water productivity where risk is explicitly managed; fertigation with sensor-guided nitrogen lowers total N without penalties to test weight or protein; fertigation with sensor-guided nitrogen lowers total N without penalties to test weight or protein. On genetics, current breeding trends show that stress-tolerant, early- to mid-maturity corn hybrids with end-use specialisation (starch, silage, bioethanol) deliver robust performance across Polissia, the Forest-Steppe and the Steppe, especially when plant population and micronutrition are tuned to site-specific constraints. Digital layers convert variability into prescriptions: zone mapping, proximal/remote sensing, UAV scouting, and model-based scheduling underpin variable-rate seeding and nitrogen, sharpen the timing of plant protection, and document input-efficiency gains without yield loss. The synthesis yields an actionable pathway for export-competitive, climate-robust production: match hybrid maturity and density to zone-specific climate windows; keep maize shares moderate within diversified rotations; correct macro- and micronutrient deficits to realistic yield targets; align protection with thresholds and resistance risks; prefer site-matched conservation tillage; and deploy irrigation only where hydrologically and economically justified. Together, these measures enhance resource efficiency, limit erosion, and sustain grain quality, providing a clear agronomic framework for resilient growth.