The importance of harvest residues in corn production

Abstract

Harvest residues of field crops are important for matter cycling in the agroecosystem, especially when organic fertilizers are not applied in adequate amounts. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of increasing nitrogen doses and harvest residues (HR) on corn yield. The international stationary field trial (ISDV) has been established on a calcareous chernozem soil, at Rimski Šančevi, on Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad. This paper review two-year average yields on corn hybrid NS 3022. The trial had six treatments, three with HR (0, 100, 200 kg N ha -1 ) and three without HR (0, 100, 200 kg N ha 1 ). The experiment was set up in three-crop rotation (corn, soybean, wheat). The average yield with and without HR treatments was 7.22 t ha -1 . The average yield obtained on treatments with HR was 7.64 t ha -1 , which was higher by 0.85 t ha -1 (12.52%) than the average yield on treatments without HR (6.79 t ha -1 ). The highest yield on treatments with HR was achieved with 100 kg N ha -1 a (8.44 t ha -1 ) while the highest yield on treatments without HR was obtained with 200 kg N ha -1 (8.56 t ha -1 ). On average, HR increased the yield of corn grain in the control treatment by 1.18 t ha -1 . To achieve good yields of corn grain, optimal nitrogen doses on treatments with HR should range from 100 kg N ha -1 to 200 kg N ha -1 , while on treatments without HR optimal doses of nitrogen should be closer to 200 kg N ha -1 .