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Nov 12, 2015Keywords:
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Response of maize (Zea mays l.) To nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer rates in tropical ultisol of south eastern Nigeria
Abstract
Field experiments were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Agronomy Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike during 2008 and 2009 cropping seasons to determine the response of maize (Zea mays L.) to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer rates in tropical ultisol of South Eastern Nigeria. In each year, the experiment was laid out as a factorial in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated three times. Treatments comprised four rates of nitrogen (0, 40, 80 and 120 Kg N/ha) and three rates of phosphorus (0, 15 and 30Kg P/ha). Nitrogen application up to 80Kg N/ha) significantly (p < 0.05) increased days to 50% tasseling, days to 50% silking, plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf area, leaf area index, cob length, number of grains per cob, 100 grain weight, marketable fresh weight with sheath, marketable fresh weight without sheath, with exception of grain yield which increased with further application upto 120Kg N/ha. Phosphorus application of 30 Kg P/ha significantly (p < 0.05) increased all growth and yield parameters. Combined application of 80Kg N/ha and 30 Kg P/ha gave the optimum Maize average grain yield of 1,422 Kg/ha and is therefore recommended for Umudike soil.
Keywords: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Growth, Yield, Maize and South Eastern Nigeria
