Maize (Zea mays L.) yield stability dependence on crop rotation, fertilization and climatic conditions in a long-term experiment on Haplic Chernozem

Abstract

Temperate regions are known to differ in climatic conditions which can considerably affect maize vegetative growth and yield. In order to determine the year-by-treatment interaction stability analysis was performed, while relative stability was determined by comparing selected treatments versus yield difference of selected cropping systems on Haplic Chernozem (CHha). Analysis of variance for maize grain indicated differences between treatments, while significantly higher yield was observed at a fertilized 3-year (6854 kg ha-1) and 2-year rotation (6721 kg ha-1). Stability analysis (P < 0.01) showed significant response of maize yield to the agroecological mean yield when linear regression was applied. The effect of crop rotation on maize yield was inversely proportional to the ratio of the maize in the sequence. Relative stability showed that the higher yield sensitivity to favourable climatic conditions would be with maize monoculture (r = 0.76), and unfertilized rotations showed a decreasing yield trend when mean agroecological yield was increasing (P < 0.05). When comparing simulated root mean square error (RMSE) of yield stability, the fertilized 2-year rotation and the monoculture fit into RMSE95% confidence interval (P < 0.05). The results demonstrated that the stability analysis can help in selection of maize technology and interpretation of environment × treatment interaction observed in a long-term experiment.