Adaptive Approach in Maize Breeding for the Urals Region

Abstract

Middle and Southern Urals’ maize growing area is characterised by a wide range of edaphoclimatic conditions and by a variety of factors which may limit growth and development of maize. The factors may vary from severe warmth shortage in the North of the region to sharp aridity in the South. Consequently, fast-ripening maize breeding is dictated by limited heat resources. Depending on the growing area and the purpose of the crops (silage or corn), hybrids adapted for the regions must be characterised within the limits of 110 and 170 according to FAO classification. The purpose of the research is to measure ultra-early maize hybrids’ adaptability within forest-meadow and forest steppe zones of the Middle and the South Urals on maize’s growth stability and ripening, crop productivity and grain moisture at harvest. During the period from 1999 to 2019 experimental hybrid combinations and FAO 100-120 type industrial hybrids were assessed. These hybrids were created with the use of a local maize variety of Northern Caucasia, West Siberia and foothill areas of the Republic of Altay as a source material. Local maize varieties of Northern Caucasia, West Siberia and foothill areas of the Republic of Altay were used as initial material to create these hybrids. As a result of these three research phases early blossom maize varieties’ competitive advantages were discovered. These varieties’ grain formation and grain filling last within a favourable temperature background and have their biological ripeness before diurnal temperature achieves biological minimum required for maize growth. This advantage ensures minimum grain moisture at harvest and maximum genetic potentiality’s productivity implementation thanks to grain filling of full value. This advantage also assures high starch content and highly digestible energy concentration in dry matter. It has been established that ultra-early hybrids’ cultivation is the main condition to obtain high energy fodder in northern areas of the Urals despite of minor gross productivity loss. Commercial maize hybrids F1 Koubanskii 101 SV and Koubanskii 102 MV pass development stages from sprouts to ear corn blossom within the limits of 44 to 58 days depending on the vegetation period conditions. These hybrids’ cultivation in forest-steppe areas is of importance to produce dried and canned corn. Forest-meadow cultivation is of importance to obtain high grain canned products and high energy silage