Improving maize quality from mechanical grain harvesting by matching maize varieties with accumulated temperature in northeast China.

Background: Global warming has led to methods of planting late-maturing maize varieties in northeast China that have hindered the development of physiological maturity (PM) at harvest and the use of mechanical grain harvesting (MGH). Under these conditions it is difficult to balance the drying characteristics of maize varieties and to make full use of accumulated temperature resources in such a way as to reduce grain moisture content (GMC) at harvest.

Results: The effective accumulated temperature (AcT) and the drying rates of different varieties vary.