The cropping strategies used on different maize production systems aim to maximize technically and economically the grower's profit at each environmental condition. However, they do not allow a comparative analysis among different management strategies at an specific place neither provide the evaluation of their efficiency at different environments. This work was carried out to assess the technical and economical return of five maize management strategies at two contrasting environments. Two experiments were conducted in Southern Brazil during the growing season of 2000/2001: one in Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, and the other in Lages, Santa Catarina. Five production systems, corresponding to different management levels and grain yield expectations, were tested at each experimental site. S1, S2 and S3 represented management levels to obtain low (< 3 ton ha-1), medium (from 3 to 6 ton ha-1) and high grain yield, respectively. S4 and S5 were designed to optimize grain yield. The grain yield and gross income per hectare increased with the improvement in management strategies at both study sites. In Eldorado do Sul, it ranged from 3.0 to 15.0 t ha-1 and R$ 104.86 to R$ 724.77. In Lages, it varied from 3.2 a 15.9 t ha-1 and 131.27 to 1,093.25. Maize presented higher economical return in Lages than in Eldorado do Sul, specially in the cropping systems proposed to optimize grain yield.
Zea mays; potential yield; economic return
