Effect of Different Nitrogen Supply on Maize Emergence Dynamics, Evaluation of Yield Parameters of Different Hybrids in Long-Term Field Experiments

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the effect of various nitrogen (N) supply treatments on the date of emergence of maize hybrids classified in different age groups. The study site was at the University of Debrecen’s Látókép Experiment Station in Hungary. The date of emergence of the tested maize hybrids was monitored under control (0 kg N ha−1), 120 kg ha−1 N + PK, and 300 kg ha−1 N + PK nutrient levels in a long-term field experiment. In 2020, maize hybrids (H1 = FAO 490; H2: FAO 420–440; H3 = FAO 420; H4 = 490; H5 = 320–340; H6 = FAO 350–370) growing under natural precipitation supply conditions without irrigation were included in the study. During the days of emergence, different moisture, protein, oil, starch, and yield production levels were observed, according to the variance analysis. In diverse maize hybrids, increasing or decreasing fertilizer treatment resulted in diverse productivity metrics. Regression analysis revealed that the day of emergence had a greater impact on protein, moisture, starch, and oil content than N fertilizer; however, yield production was influenced by N fertilization, rather than day of emergence. Regarding productivity parameters, this study suggests that H1 has the best productivity until the fourth day of emergence.