Resumen

MONASTERIO, Pedro P et al. OSCILATION INFLUENCE ON PRECIPITATION AND CORN YIELD IN EL RODEO, PEÑA MUNICIPALITY, YARACUY STATE, VENEZUELA. Agronomía Trop. [online]. 2011, vol.61, n.1, pp.59-72. ISSN 0002-192X.

The influence of El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENOS) on the quantity and distribution of precipitation (pp) and corn, Zea mays l. yield in El Rodeo corn zone, peña Municipality, Yaracuy state were studied. The annual and monthly data of quantity of pp were analyzed for El Niño, la Niña and Normal (Without Event) years, in the period 1950-2009 (pp average 957.2 mm), to determine the variations during both phases of ENoS regarding normal years. There was a trend to increasing pp during El Niño years (5.52%) and a decreasing during La Niña (8.98%), being the differences of quantity of annual pp statistically not significant (DNSE; p>0.05) for both scenarios. Monthly pp analysis showed DNSE (p>0.05) among the scenarios. This pp pattern is different to that reported for the country. In corn production period evaluated (2000-2009) there was an intensifi- cation of ENoS affecting the distribution and amount of pp the second and third trimester of the year where corn cycle is developing, raining during both phases of ENoS a superior quantity respect to Normal years. corn yield average was 5.170; 4.700 and 5.620 kg ha-1 for El Niño, la Niña and normal years, respectively, being concluded that, independently of the quantity of pp and the phase of ENoS that happens in the year, distribution of pp during corn cycle is the responsible for the yield, mainly in the critical phases where stress for excess or deficit of water affects significantly

Palabras clave : Zea mays l; rain distribution; El Niño; la Niña; yield; Yaracuy; Venezuela.