Abstract: To understand the accumulated temperature (ACT) demand of maize for its normal maturation among years and regions as well as the use efficiency of local ACT, a group of work-net field experiments was conducted at 55 sites in 28 regions of Northeast China spring maize planting area (40°07′- 48°08′ N) in 2007-2009, taking an eurychoric maize variety Zhengdan 958 as test object. The meteorological conditions in the area had large difference. In the same regions, the active accumulated temperature above 10 ℃ in whole corn growth season (ACT₁₀ for short)  demand of Zhengdan 958 for completing its whole growth and development process had little difference among different years (P＞0.1). However, in different regions, this demand differed significantly (P＜0001) in the same years, with the largest difference occurred from seedling stage to emergence stage, followed by at post-silking stage, and the least at pre-silking stage. The maturity degree of Zhengdan 958 had significant correlations with local heat conditions, and there was a linear relationship between  use efficiency and latitude. Zhengdan 958 could be safely matured in the regions with the ACT₁₀ being more than 3000 ℃, and had a risk of immaturity in the regions with the ACT₁₀ less than 3000 ℃. In conclusion, under certain meteorological conditions, the ACT demand of Zhengdan 958 for completing its growth process was relatively stable, and, due to the self physiological adjusting, the ACT₁₀ demand of Zhengdan 958 at its different growth stages showed a significant difference among different regions.

Key words: maize, accumulated temperature, meteorological ecology