1. Introduction and aim of the experiment

2. Literature

• 2.1. Classification and selection of maize varieties

• 2.2. Leaf area

• 2.3. Leaf area index

• 2.4. Plant canopy analyser LAI 2000

• 2.5. Specific leaf area

• 2.6. Leaf angle

• 2.7. Leaf senescence

• 2.8. Stay-green

• 2.9. Leaf (area) duration

• 2.10. Light interception

• 2.11. Radiation use efficiency

• 2.12. Temperature sum (GDD, HU)

• 2.13. BBCH Decimal Codes for the growth stages of maize

• 2.14. Forage quality and NIRS

3. Material and Methods

• 3.1. Field research station Berge - location, soil and weather conditions

• 3.2. Silage maize maturity groups used

• 3.3. Measurements and observations

  • 3.3.1. Manual method of measuring LA and LAI

  • 3.3.2. Plant canopy analyser LAI 2000 method of measuring LAI

• 3.4. Growing Degree Days (GDD)

• 3.5. Data analysis

4. Results

• 4.1. GDD at germination, silking and harvest periods in 2002 – 2004

• 4.2. Leaf area and leaf area index (Manual measurement)

• 4.3. Leaf area index measurement using LAI 2000 plant canopy analyser

• 4.4. Light interception and leaf angle

• 4.5. Individual leaf areas and leaf generation (numbers) of the varieties

• 4.6. Maximum leaf area

  • 4.6.1. Statistical analysis

• 4.7. Dry matter yield and dry mass content

• 4.8. Forage quality

5. Discussion

• 5.1. Temperature sum (GDD)

• 5.2. Leaf area and leaf number

• 5.3. Leaf senescence

• 5.4. Stay-green characteristics and yield

• 5.5. Percentage green leaf area at harvest

• 5.6. Leaf area duration

• 5.7. Specific leaf area

• 5.8. Dry matter yield and dry matter content

• 5.9. Forage quality

6. Conclusions

List of abbreviations

Literature

Appendices

Eidesstattliche Erklärung

Appreciation

Table 1: Soil texture at Berge research station (Köhn 2002)

Table 2: Soil chemical composition at Berge research station (Köhn 2002)

Table 3: Temperature and rainfall means between 1971 and 2000, Berge (Köhn 2002)

Table 4: Early and mid-early silage maize varieties at location Berge (check and core varieties 2002-2004)

Table 5: Leaf parameters of reference plants of silage maize, early and mid-early maturity groups in regional variety trial of Brandenburg in the year 2002 at location Berge (Harvest: 03.09. and 09.09.2002 respectively)

Table 6:Leaf parameters of reference plants of silage maize, early and mid-early maturity groups in regional variety trial of Brandenburg at location Berge (Harvest: 15.08. and 23.08.2003 respectively)

Table 7:Leaf area index of early and mid-early check varieties of forage maize using LAI 2000 in year 2002 at location Berge

Table 8:Leaf area index of early check varieties of forage maize using LAI 2000 in year 2003 at location Berge

Table 9:Leaf area index of mid-early check varieties of forage maize in 2003 using LAI 2000 plant canopy analyser in year 2003, Berge

Table 10:LAI measurement with LAI 2000 plant canopy analyser of early and mid-early maturity group of forage maize in year 2002, Berge

Table 11:LAI measurements with LAI 2000 plant canopy analyser of early and mid-early maturity group of forage maize in year 2003, Berge

Table 12:Leaf area of individual leaves [cm²] of check and core varieties for early maturity group (2002)

Table 13:Leaf area [cm²] of individual leaves of check and core varieties of mid-early maturity group (2002)

Table 14:Leaf area [cm²] of individual leaves of check and core varieties for early maturity group (2003)

Table 15:Leaf area [cm²] of individual check and core varieties of mid-early maturity varieties of forage maize in 2003

Table 16:Maximum leaf area at silking of early maturity varieties in 2002 and 2003 at location Berge

Table 17:Maximum leaf area at silking of mid-early maturity varieties in 2002 and 2003 at location Berge

Table 18:Average of green leaf area [cm²] and leaf number from cob leaf position of early check and core varieties of forage maize at harvest time in 2002 at location Berge (03.09.02)

Table 19:Average of green leaf area [cm²] and leaf number from cob leaf position of mid-early check and core varieties of forage maize at harvest time in 2002 at location Berge (09.09.02)

Table 20:Average of green leaf area [cm²] and leaf number from cob leaf position of early check and core varieties of forage maize at harvest time in 2003 at location Berge (12.08.2003)

Table 21:Average of green leaf area [cm²] and leaf number from cob leaf position of mid-early check and core varieties of forage maize at harvest time in 2003 at location Berge (18.08.03)

Table 22:Leaf area, dry mass and specific leaf area of check variety Symphony of early maturity group

Table 23:Variation analysis for early maturity varieties of forage maize tested in year 2002 and 2003

Table 24:Variation analysis (NIRS) for mid-early maturity varieties of forage maize tested in year 2002 and 2003

Table 25:Dry matter yield and dry matter content of 13 early maturity varieties of silage maize tested in 2002 and 2003 and 3 core varieties tested in the 3 years 2002-2004, location Berge

Table 26:Dry matter yield and dry matter content of 14 mid-early maturity varieties of silage maize tested in 2002 and 2003 and 5 core varieties tested in the 3 years 2002, 2003 and 2004, location Berge

Table 27:Starch yield and starch content of early maturity varieties of maize in 2002, 2003 and 2004, location Berge

Table 28:Starch yield and starch content of mid-early maturity varieties of forage maize in 2002, 2003 and 2004, location Berge

Table 29:Energy yield and energy content of early maturity varieties of forage maize in 2002, 2003 and 2004, location Berge

Table 30:Energy yield and energy content of mid-early maturity varieties of forage maize in 2002, 2003 and 2004, location Berge

Table 31:Correlation matrix for maize forage parameters of early maturity group in 2002 (significant at 0.2199)

Table 32:Correlation matrix for maize forage parameters of early maturity group in 2003 (significant at 0.2319)

Table 33:Correlation matrix for maize forage parameters of mid-early maturity group in 2002 (significant at 0.2096)

Table 34:Correlation matrix for maize forage parameters of mid-early maturity group in 2003 (significant at 0.1966)

Table A1:Yield and quality parameters of silage maize of maturity group early in regional variety trial of Brandenburg in year 2002 at location Berge (Harvest: 03.09.2002)

Table A2:Yield and quality parameters of silage maize of mid-early maturity group in regional variety trial of Brandenburg in year 2002 at location Berge (Harvest: 09.09.2002)

Table A3:Yield and quality parameters of selected recommended silage maize varieties for Brandenburg area in year 2002 at location Berge

Table A4:Yield and quality parameters of silage maize of early maturity group in regional variety trial of Brandenburg in year 2003 at location Berge (harvest: 15.08.2003)

Table A5:Yield and quality parameters of silage maize of mid-early maturity group in regional variety trial of Brandenburg in year 2003 at location Berge (harvest: 23.08.2003)

Table A6:Yield and quality parameter of the recommended silage maize varieties for Brandenburg area (according to variety advisory for silage maize 2001 and 2002) in year 2003 at location Berge

Table A7:Yield and quality parameters of silage maize of early maturity group in regional variety trial of Brandenburg in year 2004 at location Berge (harvest: 06.09.2004)

Table A8:Yield and quality parameters of silage maize of mid-early maturity group in regional variety trial of Brandenburg in year 2004 at location Berge (Harvest: 13.09.2004)

Table A9:Yield and quality parameter of the recommended silage maize varieties for Brandenburg area (according to variety advisory for silage maize 2003 and 2004) in year 2004 at location Berge

Table A10:Leaf area index of early maturity group using LAI 2000

Table A11:Leaf area index of check varieties using LAI 2000

Table A12:Leaf area index of mid-early maturity group using LAI 2000

Table A13:Leaf area index of early maturity varieties with LAI 2000 plant canopy analyser in 2003

Table A14:Leaf area index of mid-early maturity varieties with LAI 2000 plant canopy analyser in 2003

Table A15:Leaf area of individual leaves (cm²) for early maturity group (2002)

Table A16:Leaf area of individual leaves (cm²) for mid-early maturity group (2002)

Table A17Average sum of leaf area (cm²) and leaf number from cob leaf position of early maturity varieties of forage maize at harvest time in 2002 at location Berge (03.09.02)

Table A18Average sum of leaf area (cm²) and leaf number from cob leaf position of mid-early maturity varieties of forage maize at harvest time in 2002 at location Berge (09.09.02)

Table A19Average sum of leaf area (cm²) and leaf number from cob leaf position of early maturity varieties of forage maize at harvest time in 2003 at location Berge (12.08.03)

Table A20Average sum of leaf area (cm²) and leaf number from cob leaf position of mid-early maturity varieties of forage maize at harvest time in 2003 at location Berge (18.08.03)

Figure 1: Mean monthly rainfall distribution (mm) and air temperature for experimental years 2002, 2003 and 2004

Figure 2:Temperature sums (GDD) during the four successive years 2002 - 2004 growing seasons of forage maize at location Berge

Figure 3:Whole plant green leaf area and leaf area index (average of core varieties Baxxos, Nescio, Tassilo, Arsenal and Symphony)

Figure 4:Whole plant green leaf area and leaf area index (average of core varieties: Lacta, LG3226, Pontos, PR39B50, Rivaldo and Topper)

Figure 5:Leaf area index (max.) of early maturity varieties by manual measurement in 2002

Figure 6:Leaf area index (max.) of mid-early maturity varieties by manual measurement in 2002

Figure 7:Leaf area index by manual and LAI 2000 plant canopy analyser measurements of early maturity check varieties in 2003, Berge

Figure 8:Leaf area index and light interception by early maturity varieties of forage maize in year 2002, Berge

Figure 9:Leaf area index and light interception by early maturity varieties of forage maize in year 2003, Berge

Figure 10:Leaf area index and light interception by mid-early maturity varieties of forage maize in year 2002, Berge

Figure 11:Leaf area index and light interception by mid-early maturity varieties of forage maize in year 2003, Berge

Figure 12:Average leaf area development rates of early and mid-early maturity groups of forage maize in 2002, Berge

Figure 13:Percent green leaf area at harvest of early check maturity varieties of forage maize in 2002 and 2003, location Berge

Figure 14:Percent green leaf area at harvest of mid-early check maturity varieties of forage Maize in 2002 and 2003, location Berge

Figure 15:Leaf area of all leaves per plant (max.) and leaf number (total.), green leaf area and green leaf number at harvest of early maturity check varieties of forage Maize in 2002 and 2003, Berge

Figure 16:Leaf area of all leaves per plant (max.) and leaf number (total), green leaf area and green leaf number at harvest of mid-early maturity check varieties of forage maize in 2002 and 2003, location Berge

Figure 17:Specific leaf area (SLA) of early maturity varieties (n=21) in 2002, Berge

Figure 18:Specific leaf area (SLA) of early maturity varieties (n=18) in 2003, Berge

Figure 19: Specific leaf area (SLA) of mid-early maturity varieties (n=22) in 2002, Berge

Figure 20:Specific leaf area (SLA) of mid-early maturity varieties (n=25) in 2003, Berge

Figure 21:Plant dry weight [%] of check varieties (early maturity group)

Figure 22:Plant dry weight [%] of check varieties (mid-early maturity group)

Figure 22:Plant dry weight [%] of check varieties (mid-early maturity group)

Figure 23:Dry matter yield and green leaf area of early maturity varieties of forage maize at harvest in 2002 and 2003, Berge

Figure 24:Dry matter yield and green leaf area of mid-early maturity varieties of forage maize at harvest in 2002 and 2003, Berge

Figure 25:Leaf area development and senescense in two check varieties of early and mid-early group of forage maize having the same number of leaves in 2003 (Tassilo and LG3226)

Figure 25:Leaf area development and senescense in two check varieties of early and mid-early group of forage maize having the same number of leaves in 2003 (Tassilo and LG3226)

Figure A1:Block design with four replications (early varieties, year 2002)

Figure A2: Block design with four replications (mid-early varieties, year 2002)

Figure A3:Block design with four replications (early varieties, year 2003)

Figure A4:Block design with four replications (mid-early varieties, year 2003)