The article presents research findings on the influence of mineral fertilizers on the development of corn hybrids for forage production. The research method consisted of a field experiment comprising 9 treatments in triplicate. The experimental soil is drained, soddy-podzolic, medium loamy, and moderately cultivated. The study was conducted on an experimental field near the village of Dityatyevo, Vologda District. Three early maturing corn hybrids were sown: Zolotoy Pochatok 147 MV, Voronezhsky 158 SV, and Ladozhsky 191 MV. Fertilizer application rates were in accordance with the research methodology. The aim of this study is to unlock the yield potential of corn hybrids through mineral fertilization, including NPK macronutrients and the micronutrient zinc, under the conditions of the Vologda Region. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that, for the first time under the natural and climatic conditions of the Vologda Region, the effect of mineral fertilizers, including zinc sulfate, on yield, yield structure, and the nutritional value of green mass has been studied with a view to developing a fertilization system for silage corn. The results obtained revealed that all studied corn hybrids responded positively to the application of mineral fertilizers. The yield increases over the unfertilized treatment ranged from 2.8 to 4.6 t/ha of dry matter, or 36.6–54.5%. Two fold top dressing with zinc sulfate (Treatment 3) significantly increased the yield of the early maturing hybrid Zolotoy Pochatok 147 MV – by 1.2 t/ha of dry matter, or 11.5%, compared to Treatment 2 with fertilization without zinc. The nutritional value of the obtained mass, in terms of protein content, increased by 41.5–55.4% for Zolotoy Pochatok 147 MV, by 5.3–6.6% for Voronezhsky 158 SV, and by 41.9–58.1% for Ladozhsky 191 MV. The findings are intended for the conditions of the European North of Russia
Keywords
Corn (maize), mineral fertilizers, zinc, application timing, productivity, nutritional value