玉米之生育受環境因子如溫度、日照、雨量影響至鉅,本試驗利用雙雜交種台南5號、11號及綜合品種台南選10號為材料,於71年7月起至72年6月止,每月之6及21日各播種一次,其目的是在探討玉米之產量、生育與溫度、日照等之關係,及尋求本區玉米最適播種期,以供推廣玉米栽培時之參考。試驗結果指出營養生長期(抽穗前)的高溫、高日照、多濕,生殖生長期(抽穗後)之低溫、高日照之配合有利於產量之提高,花蓮地區一般以6月下旬至8月中旬播種時產量最高;春作早植時對產量有利,以2月中旬至3月上旬為播種適期,但應注意低溫及多雨之影響,夏作由於耕作制度配合的緣故不適於本區栽培,秋作亦應早植,產量方可提高,以7月上旬至8月中旬為最適播種期,但亦應注意颱風之為害及後期秀病發生之防治等問題,冬裏作由於氣溫低、日照少,並不適於玉米之栽培。試驗結果又顯示玉米之發芽日數受每日平均氣溫高低之影響,平均氣溫每降低3˚C時,玉米之發芽日數延長1天;播種後至雄花抽穗之每日平均氣溫每降低1˚C時,抽穗日數延長3.6天,每日日照時數減少1小時,抽穗日數則延長6.3天。又收穫指數(HI%)與產量呈顯著之正相關r = 0.282*,即表示HI亦為產量高低的重要指標(indicator)。營養生長期之溫度、日照時數對於玉米農藝性狀之影響在60%以上,而生殖生長期對此性狀影響較少,農藝性狀之株高、穗長等性狀在產量構成因素角色上佔了60∼80%之影響;抽穗期與農藝性狀之間呈極顯著的負相關,即玉米在冬裏作及秋作晚植者其抽穗期及成熟期之延長對於農藝性狀及產量構成因素造成不利。
In order to find out the most suitable date for planting of corn in Hualien area, this experiment was carried out in the period of time from July 1982 to June 1983 with a planting sequence in 15-day interval. The results showed that the rate of maturation of corn was determined largely by temperature and sunshine hour. A decrease of 1˚C was accompanied by an increase of 3.6 days with a coefficient of determination of 92% and a decrease of one sunshine hour was also accompanied by an increase of 6.3 days with a coeffieient of 73.4% in the period of days to tasseling. A close positively correlation between harvest index and grain yield of corn showed that the HI could be an indicator for the yielding capacity of corn. Average daily temperature and sunshine hour during vegetative growth period explained about 60% of the variation in agronomic characteristics than those of reproductive growth. Correlation coefficients of grain yield and agronomic characteristics including yield components except for node no .of ear could explained about 60-80% of variation in garin yield. Negative correlation coefficients between days to tasseling and agronomic characteristics resulted from the poor performance of corn varieties in the winter crops and late planting in the fall crop when corn plants took much longer to mature .The grain yield of corn was high in summer and fall crops, but low in spring and winter crops due to environmental factors, such as heavy rainfall, serious disease and pest, strong seasonal wind,low temperature and low solar radiation that affected the growth of corn. Early planting seemed to give better vegetative growth as compared with that of the late ones and the same trends were found in grain yield irrespective to the spring or fall crops. The suitable planting date for obtaining high yield of corn in Hualien area was found from late June to middle August.