RESUMO
To understand the accumulated temperature (ACT) demand of maize for its normal maturation among years and regions as well as the use efficiency of local ACT, a group of work-net field experiments was conducted at 55 sites in 28 regions of Northeast China spring maize planting area (40 degrees 07'-48 degrees 08' N) in 2007-2009, taking an eurychoric maize variety Zhengdan 958 as test object. The meteorological conditions in the area had large difference. In the same regions, the active accumulated temperature above 10 degrees C in whole corn growth season (ACT10 for short) demand of Zhengdan 958 for completing its whole growth and development process had little difference among different years (P > 0.1). However, in different regions, this demand differed significantly (P < 0. 001) in the same years, with the largest difference occurred from seedling stage to emergence stage, followed by at post-silking stage, and the least at pre-silking stage. The maturity degree of Zhengdan 958 had significant correlations with local heat conditions, and there was a linear relationship between use efficiency and latitude. Zhengdan 958 could be safely matured in the regions with the ACT10 being more than 3000 degrees C, and had a risk of immaturity in the regions with the ACT10 less than 3000 degrees C. In conclusion, under certain meteorological conditions, the ACT demand of Zhengdan 958 for completing its growth process was relatively stable, and, due to the self physiological adjusting, the ACT10 demand of Zhengdan 958 at its different growth stages showed a significant difference among different regions.
