Maize is the oldest plant used by man in economic activity. It plays a significant role in the economy of many countries. Despite the accumulated experience in cultivation of this crop, the study of the relationship between temperature and growth function remains relevant today. Five main phases of its development have been identified in the present research. Connection of temperature indicators and development phases has been revealed by monitoring maize growth during vegetation period. The

more »

... earch had been carried out for 6 years according to the authors' methodology and tested in four farms of the Nikolaevsky district of the Volgograd region on light chestnut soils of the Kislovskaya and Zavolzhskaya irrigation systems. Research objects are represented with late-ripening hybrids (double interline hybrid of Volgograd selection and hybrid VC-183), mid-ripening triple interline hybrid Dneprovsky-98MV (FAO 200), and midripening variety Elora produced by Pioneer company. Samples have been selected in the zone of forest belts impact at the distances multiple of the height of a forest belt. Samples refer to the following stages: emergence stage, third-leaf stage, paniculation stage, milky ripeness stage, and gold ripeness stage. Logistic function has been used when modeling growth processes by correlation and regression analysis in the computer program Statistica (StatSoft Russia) with a confidence interval of 0.95 and determination coefficient identification (R 2 ). The data on heat requirements have been calculated on the basis of growth patterns. Distinctive areas corresponding to the phases of crop morphogenesis have been identified in logistic function to assess crop's condition and predict further growth. Keywords: prediction of maize growth morphogenesis of maize logistic function connection of mean daily and active air temperatures and duration of phases of development --