Precision Agriculture Enhances Maize Production in Conventional Systems

Strategic Insights -

Research conducted at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca in Romania has found that precision agriculture can significantly improve maize production, particularly in conventional systems. The study evaluated the impact of precision agriculture on the morpho-productive traits and agronomic efficiency of the Turda 201 maize hybrid under distinct cultivation systems. The results indicated that precision agriculture can enhance maize performance compared to standard methods, particularly in terms of plant height, cob length, and leaf number. However, the study also found that organic systems showed lower growth and yield compared to conventional systems.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that precision agriculture can enhance maize performance compared to standard methods, particularly in terms of plant height, cob length, and leaf number.
  • The conventional-precision experimental variant led to the highest values of dry matter, crude protein, nitrogen-free matter, and starch content compared to the organic-standard experimental variant.
  • Agronomic efficiency has a spectacular increase in the conventional-precision experimental variant (4.92 kg/kg) compared with the organic-standard experimental variant (0.002 kg/kg).
  • The study concluded that precision agriculture can be used as a tool for enhancing sustainable maize production, particularly in conventional systems.
  • The morphological traits such as plant height, cob length, and leaf number were significantly higher in the conventional system, particularly under precision technology.
  • The production traits, which are lower in an organic system compared with conventional (6464.22 kg/ha vs. 9204 kg/ha, when precision technology was used).

Statistics:

  • Plant height: 197 cm
  • Cob length: 17.20 cm
  • Leaf number: 10.60
  • Dry matter: 86.90% vs. 83.60%
  • Crude protein: 10.75% vs. 8.65%
  • Nitrogen-free matter: 72.60% vs. 64.40%
  • Starch: 83.15% vs. 79.50%
  • Agronomic efficiency: 4.92 kg/kg (conventional-precision experimental variant) vs. 0.002 kg/kg (organic-standard experimental variant)

Sources:

  • Crop Technology, Cultivation System, and Maize Production Characteristics. Sustainability, 2025;17(9):4132.
  • Mdpi, St Alban-Anlage 66, Ch-4052 Basel, Switzerland.
  • Petru Burduhos, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Agriculture, Dept. of Environmental Engineering, 3-5 Calea Manastur, Cluj Napoca 400372, Romania.
  • NewsRx. New Agriculture Study Results from University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca Described (Crop Technology, Cultivation System, and Maize Production Characteristics). Agriculture Week. June 12, 2025; p 2220.