Maize BALISTO

BALISTO — medium-early three-line hybrid corn (Zea mays L.), registered in the State Register for the Central Chernozem region. The plant is medium to tall with slightly curved leaves, having a medium angle between leaf blade and stem. The tassel features a medium-length main axis, which is higher than the upper lateral branch and forms a medium angle with lateral branches. Anthocyanic pigmentation of roots, husk, and silk is weak or absent. The ear is medium in length and thickness, with a hard kernel type, the upper part of which is yellow-orange, and the lower part is orange. The number of rows of kernels in the ear is low to medium, with no anthocyanic pigmentation of the cob.

The hybrid exhibits high yield: the average grain yield in the region is 73.1 c/ha, 39.4% higher than the standard, with maximum yields reaching 103.2 c/ha. The normalized dry matter average is 158.3 c/ha (+22.6% compared to the standard), with a maximum value of 250.6 c/ha. The grain moisture at harvest averages 27.6%, 2.9% lower than the standard, while the dry matter content is 42.4%, exceeding the standard by 2.6%. The vegetative period of the hybrid is approximately 120 days, corresponding to a medium-early maturity period.

BALISTO belongs to the universal hybrids, suitable for both grain production and silage use. It has high silage feed value and demonstrates high resistance to corn borer. The hybrid is a worthy successor to the Plus4GRAIN family and was registered in 2019. The developer of the hybrid is the company KWS SAAT SE & CO.KGAA.