| Summary: | FAO numbers are generally calculated from the grain moisture at harvest, which has decreased substantially in recent decades. In many countries maize is now harvested with a grain moisture of around 20 %. However, the lower the grain moisture at harvest, the smaller the difference in grain moisture between the maturity groups and/or individual hybrids. The reliability of grain moisture measurements has not improved parallel to the decline in the differences between hybrids, making it difficult to determine the maturity dates of the hybrids reliably. A new method has been elaborated to solve this problem and has been successfully used for the last two years in official trials in Hungary. The new method has several advantages: (a) more maturity parameters are taken into consideration, so the evaluation of more data improves reliability, (b) regression between the maturity parameters and the FAO number is calculated using several standards, thus reducing the effect of the G x E interaction and the experimental error. As a result, the annual fluctuation in the FAO number for each 1 % grain moisture is reduced.
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