Heat Units and Corn Maturity

摘要

Throughout the corn belt the average weather conditions during each 80 to 140 day period vary greatly within the specified period and from year to year. Because of this, the current system of classification of corn varieties with respect to their probable maturity lacks the desired precision. The growing degree day, GDD, concept's ability to reduce the variability of rating corn varieties was tested. The GDD concept assumes the same amount of heat is needed to pass through a specified portion of a plant's developmental sequence.