Increasing the efficiency of precision crop production poses new professional challenges in both agricultural research and farming. Precision technical improvements have resulted in significant energy and material savings. It is today’s challenge to meet the requirements of more productive farming, as well as better and healthier food production.

The results of technical development make it possible and necessary to meet the needs of arable crops more effectively. For this reason, the genetic parameters of the crops/varieties/hybrids and their responses to different environmental effects must be known.

In our research, in 2018 and 2019, we measured the most important parameters of the Fornad (FAO 420) maize hybrid in critical phenophases: sowing, 6-leaf, 12-leaf, silking, physiological mature and harvest.

In 2019, the SPAD values obtained between the 6-leaf stage and silking showed significantly more favourable results. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) showed nearly the same correlation concerning the two examined years. The vegetation index was related to the greenness of the crop stand and its photosynthetic activity. The obtained data reflect the amount of biomass, as well as the chlorophyll and water content of leaves. In 2019, higher vegetation index values reflected darker green surface and more greenness. The growing crop stand was healthy and properly supplied with water and nutrients. Favourable NDVI values measured during the growing season at the 6- and 12-leaf stages, at silking and physiological maturity were good indicators of crop development, health status and biomass level. In 2019, NDVI values showed a characteristic course, increasing from germination to flowering and were stable with a slight decrease until physiological maturity. In 2018, a significant difference was observed only at physiological maturity, with the NDVI value being 0.55.

The maize hybrid Fornad proved its excellent adaptability with a yield of 19 t per hectare in two different crop years. In 2019, the effective heat sum from germination to physiological maturity was 211 °C day less than in 2018 (1497 °C days), but the water supply was more favourable, as 129 mm of precipitation served the intensive dry matter incorporation from silking (06/07) to physiological maturity (16/09). As a result, yields were outstanding, with a yield of 18.958 t per hectare in 2018 and 19.010 t per hectare in 2019. The water release capacity of the studied maize hybrid is also excellent, i.e. 0.85% per day from 16/08/2019 until physiological maturity. This means that 13 °C days were required for 1% water release.

Keywords: “Smart” maize hybrid, NDVI index, genetic parameters, dry matter incorporation, water release