The amount of fertilizer is halved, but the yield is still outstanding

These days, Mrs. Vu Thi Luu (living in Cu M'gar commune, Cu M'gar district, Dak Lak) prepares to harvest nearly 1ha of her family's corn. This year, Mrs. Luu's family was supported by the Southern Corn Station (Morning Research Institute) to test the hybrid maize variety TM181.

When planting hybrid maize TM181, Ms. Luu was worried because this was a new variety, had never been grown, and did not know how productive it was and could withstand the conditions of the Central Highlands. However, when the time came to harvest, her family was delighted to see the beautiful large corn. In particular, the cob is very small, so the yield is high.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thong, Vice Chairman of Cu M'gar Commune Farmers' Association, said that the hybrid maize variety TM181 has been very popular with people because of its many advantages. The kernels are covered with corn, very tight on the ball head, so when it rains a lot, the corn will not rot. In particular, the corn is very evenly grained. The seed shell is shiny.

According to Mr. Thong, hybrid maize TM181 is very resistant to diseases. "In other corn varieties, when preparing to set fruit and seeds, there are many diseases and fungi. However, the hybrid maize variety TM181 is resistant to fungal diseases. Although it is about to be harvested, the leaves and plants are still green, which is very suitable for many families raising cows because they can be used as food. It has rained a lot in the area in the past, but the hybrid maize variety TM181 still does not suffer from fungal diseases, "said Mr. Thong.

Vice Chairman of Cu M'gar Commune Farmers' Association added that, after a trial period, the hybrid maize variety TM181 yielded more than 9 tons/ha, much higher than the previous maize varieties produced by local farmers. "The local custom is to spray weeds and fertilize a lot. For the hybrid maize variety TM181 in the experimental planting model, only one spray was applied, and the fertilizer was only half that of other varieties, but the yield was still outstanding. This is the biggest advantage", Mr. Thong added.

Many advantages to expanding production in the Central Highlands

The maize field of Mrs. Luu's family uses the hybrid maize TM181 and is grown under the guidance of the staff of the Southern Corn Station (Morning Research Institute), so the plants grow well. The corn plant is nearly 2m high, and although there are only about 5 days left to harvest, the leaves and stem are still green. In particular, the golden cob, which is more than 25cm long, is well-grained and closed from the beginning to the end of the corn.

Master Nguyen Duy Duyen, Head of the Southern Corn Station, said that the hybrid maize variety TM181 had been recognized for circulation by the Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) according to Decision No. 330/QD-TT-CLT dated 2/11/ 2022 for corn crops and areas in the northern provinces after being recognized and successfully grown in the Northern provinces, the Maize Research Institute has expanded the recognition and circulation for maize growing seasons and regions in the Central Highlands.

Mr. Duyen said the hybrid maize TM181 was developed from a hybrid combination of TH20 x CN6745. The variety has an average early maturity, about 107 - 111 days in the spring crop - equivalent to DK9901 and one day shorter than the control DK6919; 110 - 116 days in the summer-autumn crop; 107 - 122 days in winter and 2 - 5 days faster than DK9901 and DK6919.

The hybrid maize variety TM181 has average plant height and coking height, good corn structure and color, good drought and cold tolerance, and good breakage resistance. Only slightly infected with some pests and diseases such as stem borers, corn borers, flag aphids, dry streaks, leaf spots, and stem rot...

The hybrid maize variety TM181 has a high yield potential. The average net yield of dry seeds in different ecological regions was 75 quintals/ha in spring crops, over 80 quintals/ha in summer-autumn crops, over 74 quintals/ha in winter and spring-spring crops, higher than 10 quintals/ha in summer-autumn yield compared to the hybrid maize varieties widely grown in maize-growing areas today.

The hybrid maize variety TM181 has a short growth period when the corn is harvested (yellow marble leaves). The stem and leaves are still very green. This early ripening characteristic presents many advantages over other varieties when planted in intercropping areas, and it is easier to arrange the cropping structure to avoid the rainy season or drought in water-intensive maize regions. God.

“The variety has drought tolerance, good seeding ability, and closed corn. The robust tripod roots should resist breakage and pests and diseases. In particular, the quality of the commercial grain, large and long corn shape, suitable granulation, orange seed color, stone form, small core, high grain-to-corn ratio, very good resistance to termites", Master Nguyen Duy Duyen shared.

According to Mr. Duyen, hybrid maize TM181 is one of the promising varieties when deployed on a large scale in the Central Highlands.