Turda 350 and Turda 59: The Latest Creations in Maize Breeding at ARDS Turda

Andrei Varga, Roxana Elena-Călugăr, Carmen Daniela Vana, 
Ancuța Loredana Ceclan, Nicolae Tritean, Andras Fodor

Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda

Keywords: breeding, hybrid, new maize, high quality, best production.

 Abstract: Within the breeding program of the Agricultural Research and Development Station (ARDS) Turda, two new maize creations were obtained, namely the hybrids Turda 350 and Turda 59, registered in 2025, belonging to the FAO 360 group. The two hybrids stood out for their production potential superior to the latest “TURDA” creations, high quality, as well as for the superior ability to capitalize on technological factors.
The two hybrids were tested in the State Institute for Testing and Registration of Varieties (SITRV) network, in nine variety testing centers and under five different ecological conditions in the Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (AAFS) network (Turda, Târgu Mureș, Secuieni, Livada and Lovrin), in non-irrigated crop system, between 2021 and 2023. Their experimentation was carried out in comparative crops, being tested under the names HST 148 and SUR 18/399, respectively.
The new registered hybrids are distinguished by: tall plant, semi-erect leaves, long cylindrical cobs, dent grains, normal yellow in color, with 18-22 rows of grains, the TKW is between 260-280 g, the shelling percentage between 83-85%. Also, the new creations have a good ecological plasticity, very good resistance to low temperatures in the first part of the vegetation period, resistance to falling, very good tolerance to drought, heat and hardening of the grains. Both genotypes were distinguished by a yield potential of over 13000 kg/ha. The seeds can be produced based on a perfected formula, with no need for castration in hybridization batches.
The hybrids Turda 350 and Turda 59 are recommended for cultivation in the Transylvanian Plain, the neighboring plateaus, the meadows of the Mureș, Someș and Târnave rivers, central and north-eastern Moldova, as well as in the hilly areas in the west of the country, and the best production results were obtained at a density of 70000 plants/ha.