Comportamiento morfológico y agronómico de diferentes cultivares de maíz (zea mays) en la granja Santa Inés

Abstract

Worldwide, corn (Zea mays L.) is considered the first cereal in grain yield per hectare, it also has great importance in both human and animal nutrition. It is one of the cereals that is most cultivated worldwide together with rice and wheat, it contains a composition of an adequate nutritional contribution, specifically in proteins, starches, fats, fibers, minerals, sugars, vitamins and kilocalories. The largest producing countries are the United States, China, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. In Ecuador there are a great variety of maize races adapted to different edaphoclimatic conditions (types of soil, altitude, ecosystems) where approximately 25 species have been found. Yellow corn (hard) and white corn (soft) are cultivated in a greater proportion, for which there is approximately 18% that correspond to the varieties of corn and wheat that belong to the International Center for Improvement (CIMMYT) of Ecuador, therefore which is in third place according to crop diversity worldwide. The present research work was carried out at the “Santa Inés” farm belonging to the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Technical University of Machala with the aim of demonstrating the effect of different corn cultivars (Dekalb 7508, Advanta 9313, Pionner 4039 and Soma) in morphological and agronomic parameters of the crop in the edaphoclimatic conditions of the Santa Inés farm. For this, the morphological and agronomic variables of the crop were evaluated, which are plant height (cm), stem thickness (cm), number of total leaves, number of active leaves, aerial green weight (kg) and total weight of the plant (kg), through the application of a simple Latin square experimental design, where the manipulated factor were the described cultivars and due to the fact that two uncontrolled factors are present (soil fertility and slope of the terrain), the double technique was applied. Using columns and rows in order to minimize their effect on the study variables. In order to detect statistical differences between the cultivars based on the study variables, the intergroup factorial ANOVA was applied provided that the assumptions of data normality, independence of observations and homogeneity of variances were met. In case of statistical differences between treatments, Duncan's test of ranges and multiple comparisons was applied, in order to know between which cultivars there are differences or similarities through the formation of homogeneous subset. The results were shown according to each week since data was taken from each variable weekly. The plant height results indicate that the cultivar advanta 9313 was the one that presented the highest height in week one (3.55 cm), week two (6.75 cm), week 3 (9.78) and week 5 (22.48 cm), however, in week four the cultivar Dekalb 7508 presented homogeneity with the cultivars advanta 9313 and pionner 4039 without statistical difference. In the stem diameter variable, in week 3 there was no statistical difference in cultivars Dekalb 7508, pionner 4039 and advanta 9313, however, in week one, the cultivar pionner 4030 registered the largest stem diameter (0.35 ) statistically different from the rest of the treatments; In week two the cultivar advanta 9313 presented a greater stem diameter (0.57 cm) statistically different from the rest of the treatments; In week five the cultivar Dekalb 7508 registered the largest stem diameter (1.89 cm) statistically different from the other treatments, but in week 4 the cultivar put 4039 presented homogeneity with the cultivars advanta 9313 and Dekalb 7508. In the variable number of total leaves the cultivar Dekalb registered the highest number of leaves in week 3 (7), week four (8) and week 5 (10) statistically different from the rest of the treatments, however, in week one the cultivar Dekalb 7508 presented homogeneity with the cultivars advanta 9313 and pionner 4039 while in week 2 the cultivars Dekalb, advanta and pionner presented homogeneity without statistical differences. In the variable number of active leaves in week two, the cultivars Dekalb 7508, advanta 9313 and pionner 4039 presented homogeneity without statistical differences, however the cultivar dekalb 7508 presented a greater number of active leaves in week three (5), week four ( 6) and week five (8) statistically different from the rest of the treatments.