Laboratory studies have showed higher ABA accumulation in seedlings of the chilling tolerant genotypes than in the sensitive ones during low temperature exposure. On the basis of these results the hypothesis was developed that chilling tolerance (CT) in maize is related to the ability for fast and pronounced formation and accumulation of ABA as a protective agent against chilling injury. Presented in the paper measurements of ABA levels in maize seedlings under complex field conditions during natural spring cold waves at two sites of Europe confirmed the results from growth rooms. The chilling tolerant maize lines accumulated under field conditions more ABA than the sensitive ones during spring cold periods. Moreover, the data from field conditions show that the ABA accumulation induced by low temperature is not directly related to chilling-induced water deficit.