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Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research

Grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency of two maize (Zea mays L.) varieties as affected by time of nitrogen application

Mohamed A. Salih, Eltahir S. Ali1, El fadil A. Babiker and Naiem A. Ali

Abstract:

Interventions to increase grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) could be accomplished through the use of improved hybrids/varieties technologies as well as the best fertilization practices. In this context, a field experiment laid out in split plot design was conducted at the Gezira Research Station Farm for 3 seasons (2004, 2005 and 2006). The objective was to examine the performance of two maize (Zea mays L.) varieties , a hybrid (H -351) and an open pollinated variety (Mugtama - 45), used as a main plot under 6 N application times in addition to a control (0N), used as a sub plot. The result showed that the application of 86 kg Nha-1 at sowing or in two equal split doses (43 kg Nha-1) at sowing and at 3 weeks after emergence gave the highest grain yield, N uptake, N recovery in the grains and NUE followed by when the whole N dose was applied at 3 weeks after emergence. The percent increase in maize grain yield in these treatments over the control, were 140, 131 and 123 % with corresponding % N uptake increase of 172, 150 and 138 respectively. Similar patterns of response were also found in the number of kernels/ row and in the kernels weight. The hybrid H - 351 was significantly superior compared to Mugtama - 45 in the grain yield, N uptake, N recovery and NUE. On average and across all time of N application treatments, H - 351 out yielded Mugtama - 45 by 20 %.


 

Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 12  (2008) PP. 23-32