COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF YIELD AND STARCH CONTENT FOR ENERGY PURPOSES IN MAIZE HYBRIDS IN THE PROVINCE OF CHACO

Abstract

The development of a region is a central concern of the main productive actors and of the community. From its conceptual premises related to economic development, to its more recent conceptions such as sustainable development, there is a certain consensus that economic development is the ability to create wealth to increase the economic and social well-being of peoples. The Province of Chaco, Argentina, presents a diversity of environmental environments where significant extensions of corn cultivation are cultivated. This is a merely primarized productive sector, with a high transfer of minerals. Using part of the corn production in the generation of renewable energy would be an excellent option for the transformation of this resource, since it would favor the regional economy, the environment and the profitability of the production system through the addition of value. This work aims to analyze the behavior of the different corn hybrids by comparing their grain yield and starch content for energy purposes, influenced by environmental factors. A statistical study was carried out that correlates dependent variables (yield and starch) with independent variables such as environment and soil, which allowed analyzing the behavior of different hybrids grown in various test areas and environmental conditions within the provincial territory, comparing the effects they generate on the variables considered. The results showed significant differences based on environmental and soil conditions, highlighting, due to its better performance, the hybrid of temperate maize with an average yield of 82.20 qq/ha, compared to the general average yield of the different materials under study, which is 75.76 qq/ha. Regarding the starch content in corn kernels, temperate hybrids exhibited a remarkable performance with low dispersion of values, presenting an average starch content of 74.48%, compared to the general average (73.01%) and significantly higher than the control or control materials (70.46%). From the analysis, it emerges that the percentage of starch content of the hybrids analyzed does not show correlation with grain yield, environment and soil type, and variations in starch composition were also observed for the same type of hybrid developed in different locations of the province. It is concluded that the different maize hybrids exhibited significant yields in the production of maize grains and in starch content, the latter being of considerable relevance due to its potential conversion into bioenergy, as well as in the production of food for humans and animals, highlighting the high potential of the productive area analyzed.