Nutrient absorption and phenology development of the Costa Rican corn hybrid HC-57

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the total nutrient absorption in the corn hybrid HC-57. The experiment was carried out at the Agricultural Experimental Station Fabio Baudrit Moreno of the University of Costa Rica, in Alajuela Costa Rica. A plot with 120 plants under optimal growth conditions was used. Plants were sampled every 15 days using 9 units per sampling. The entire plant was collected and the height and number of leaves determined. Then the plants were divided into roots, foliage and cobs, dried at 80°C, weighed and analyzed at the Laboratory of the Agronomic Research Center of the University of Costa Rica. For macro and micronutrients, uptake curves were obtained. For a yield estimate of 50 000 cobs.ha^-1, with a dry weight of 141,5 g per cob, the maximum nutrient absorption per hectare was 111 kg of N, 43 kg P₂O₅, 168 kg K₂O, 26 kg CaO, 28 kg MgO, 10 kg S, 3200 g Fe, 100 g Cu, 400 g Zn, 300 g Mn and 100 g B. It was found that the Corn hybrid HC-57 required approximately 1500 growing degree days to complete its development cycle and 1254 growing degree days to reach the R3 phenological stage, at which it is harvested as sweet corn. The information on nutrient absorption and on the respective growing degree days is presented for all the stages evaluated, in order to create a link between both parts.