The effect of types and split of urea on yield indicators and yield components of maize

Abstract

Maize is one of the most important cereals in the world. The productive potential of this crop is closely associated with nitrogen (N) fertilization, thus, studies focused on this subject are important in the development of cropping strategies. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of N split and different type of urea on important agronomic traits of the maize crop. A randomized complete block design in a 2×2+1 factorial treatment design with four replications was used. The factorial levels were composed of two types of urea (common and coated) and two nitrogen splits (V3 and V3+V8), plus the control treatment (without urea application). Important agronomic traits such as grain yield, biological productivity, and yield components were assessed. It was verified that there is no difference between the common or coated urea on grain yield and its components. On the other hand, the split of nitrogen into V3 and V8 stages is an efficient strategy to improve grain yield as well as important features as the number of rows per ears and harvest index. Thus, by using this management system farmers can achieve a more efficient nitrogen use.