Effect of cultivation systems on maize productivity and production profitability

Abstract

In the past decades maize was produced on the largest scale in Hungary. The extreme weather conditions and the rising energy prices of the last years forced the farmers to produce with the least input and with the highest yield stability possible. Our research was carried out on the land of Vásárhelyi Róna Kft. where a 9-hectare area was partitioned for three equal parcels. The three parcels were cultivated with different basic cultivating methods: ploughing, loosening and strip tillage. Nine-nine different maize hybrids were sowed in each cultivated parcels. In the course of the research we examined the moisture content of the soil, the morphologic features of the hybrids and average yield by hectares. We calculated the total cost, theoretical incomings and earnings by growing maize per hectare. According to our one-year research we came to the result that the most productive method was tilling proceeding even though it had the highest cost. On the other hand we found that the hybrids reacted differently to the various cultivation procedures. Realizing the results we suggest farmers should take notice of rational tilling and the importance of choosing hybrids.