Efficiency of the nitrogen fertilizers for maize root fertilizing

Abstract

We carried out research on the efficiency of maize root fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers in the critical stage of plant development and presented its results, and clarified its influence on the indicators of individual plant productivity and grain yield. It was found that nitrogen fertilizers caused an extension of the growing season of the early-ripening DN Meotyda hybrid by 4–8 days, and the mid-early DB Khotyn hybrid – by 2–9 days depending on the rate and method of fertilizing. At the same time, maize root fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers provided an increase in the number of productive ears per hybrid plant: DN Meotyda - by 4.3–13.0%, DB Khotyn - by 2.1–5.3% compared to the control. The grain weight per 1 ear of these hybrids increased by 9.1–28.7 and 11.6–36.6%, and the 1000 grain weight - by 4.6–17.6 and 7.3–21.4%, respectively. The grain yield of hybrid plants in the studied variants on root fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers increased: DN Meotyda - by 1.24–2.47 t/ha, or 17.1–34.0%, DB Khotyn - by 1.41–2, 65 t/ha, or by 18.8–35.3%. It was observed that the indicators of individual productivity and grain yield in each of the studied maize hybrids were the highest when nitrogen application with a rate of N45 in 3–5th and 7–9th leaf stages. The one-time-application of nitrogen fertilizers of N90 in the 7–9th leaf stages was the least effective. The increase in grain yield of the early-ripening DN Meotyda hybrid compared to the control was 1.24 t/ha, or 17.1%, the mid-early – DB Khotyn –1.41 t/ha, or 18.8%. Root fertilizing maize plants with nitrogen fertilizers in the critical development stages both optimizes their nutrition and reduces unproductive nitrogen losses, but also has a positive effect on growth and development, leaf surface area, individual productivity, and provides a significant increase in grain yield. Key words: maize, hybrids, nitrogen fertilizers, fertilizing, individual productivity, yield.