Impact of weather conditions on maize yields in Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Kukuruz je najrasprostranjeniji usjev na oranicama Hrvatske, Srbije, Rumunjske, Mađarske i Bosne i Hercegovine. Prinosi kukuruza često su značajno niži od mogućnosti koje pruža genetski potencijal rodnosti visokorodnih hibrida kukuruza. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je utvrditi utjecaj vremenskih prilika na prinose zrna kukuruza na području Hrvatske, Srbije, Bosne i Hercegovine, Rumunjske i Mađarske u razdoblju od 2005. do 2012. godine. U radu su korišteni podaci o požetim površinama, ostvarenim prinosima po godinama, mjesečne i ukupne količine oborina (mm) i srednje mjesečne i prosječne temperature zraka u vegetacijskom razdoblju od 2005. do 2012. godine kao i višegodišnji referentni prosjeci za navedene države. U svih pet ispitivanih područja nejnepovoljnijim godinama pokazale su se 2007. i 2012. godina koje su bile izrazito sušne i toplije te nepovoljne za rast i razvoj kukuruza. Povoljne godine za uzgoj kukuruza bile su 2005., 2008. i 2010. godina kada su u većini slučajeva ostvareni najviši prinosi, a povezani su s iznadprosječnom količinom oborina i temperaturama zraka na razini referentnog višegodišnjeg prosjeka. Najviši prosječni prinosi u osmogodišnjem razdoblju ostvareni su u Republici Hrvatskoj i Republici Mađarskoj. U Srbiji te Bosni i Hercegovini, prosječni prinosi bili su značajno niži u odnosu na prethodne dvije države, a najniži prinosi postignuti su u Rumunjskoj. Iz analiziranih podataka tijekom osmogodišnjeg razdoblja utvrđeno je da su klimatski uvjeti od izuzetne važnosti za prinos odnosno rast i razvoj kukuruza. Izrazito visoke temperature zraka uz nedostatak oborina razlog su niskih prinosa. Provedenom analizom utvrđeno je znatno variranje prinosa po godinama u svih pet ispitivanih država.Maize is the most widely grown grain crop in Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Romania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Maize yields are often significantly lower than the possibilities provided by the genetic potential of the new highly productive hybrids. The aim of this investigation was to establish the influence of weathe rconditions on maize grain yield in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Hezegovina, and Romania and Hungary in the period from 2005-2012 Data regarding harvested maize fields, realized yields per year, monthly and total precipitation (mm), average air temperature in growing vegetation period (2005-2012) as well as expected averages for then amedstated were used in this paper. When it comes to all five states, the most unfavourable years were 2007 and 2012, which were extremly dry and warmer, there fore it influenced the growth and development of maize negatively. The years 2005, 2008 and 2010 were favourable for maize cultivation, since then in most of the cases the high yield sucesses were achieved: they were connected with above-average precitipation and air temperatures that were in the level with the expected averages in a few year period. The high estaverage maize yields were achieved in the Republic of Croatia (6.34 t/ha) and the Republic of Hungary (6.11 t/ha). In Serbia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina the average maize yields were significantly lower than in the previously mentioned states (4.77 and 4.32 t/ha), whereas the lowest maize yields were in Romania (3.38 t/ha). From the analyzed eight year data it can be concluded that climatic conditions are of a very high importance both for the grain yield and its vegetation. Extremly high air temperatures along with the lack of rainfalls result in low yields. Based on the conducted analysis a significant maize yield variabilty per year in all five countries was determined