Effect of weather on maize yields and the efficiency of fertilization

Abstract

The yield of maize is primarily influenced by sunlight, temperature, available plant nutrients and water supply. Since plants take up water through their roots, the most decisive factor is not precipitation but the quantity of water available in the soil. In this study, a simple, easy-to-reproduce, capacitive model was elaborated to determine the available moisture content for maize. During the calculations, based on the balance method, the available moisture content in the top 110 cm soil layer was determined, taking daily weather data into account. The examinations were carried out on a medium heavy chernozem soil with lime deposits, in a multifactorial experiment at the Látókép Experimental Station of the Center of Agricultural Sciences, Debrecen University, between 1990 and 2004. Annual yield fluctuation is primarily determined by the soil moisture content in the month of July and the water supplies in May, according to regression analysis. The maize yields in the past 15 years could be calculated with an accuracy of 570 kg/ha, an error limit of below 10% and an r value of 0.805, using a regression line and the data of monthly moisture supplies. However, the yields of fertilized plots can only be estimated with an accuracy of 1 t/ha on average. Fertilizer utilization is influenced by the moisture content of the soil, so it makes sense to include this in the analysis instead of the other environmental factors. Water is required for nutrient utilization. In years with poor or medium water supplies, moderate fertilizer rates are more effective, compared to higher rates in years with better water supplies. Efficient fertilization in maize production can only be achieved by harmonizing soil moisture content and the applied fertilizer rate.