Effect of Time and Quantity of N-Fertilizer Application on Growth and Yield of Maize in Forest-Savannah Agro-Ecological Zone of Nigeria

Abstract

Field experiments were carried out to determine the effects of application regimes of nitrogen fertilizer on
growth and yield characteristics of two maize varieties (TZSR-Y-1 and DMR-LSR-Y) at the Students' Project
Farm, Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria. The experiments were conducted in a factorial
randomized complete block design with three replications with three planting dates during the early season of
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2015 and 2016. The treatments are F1 (60 kg N ha basal application and 60 kg N ha at 45 days after planting),
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F2 (40 kg N ha basal application, 40 kg N ha each at 45 and 60 days after planting), F3 (30 kg N ha basal
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application, 30 kg N ha each at 30, 45, and 60 days after planting), F4 (30 kg N ha each at 30, 45, 60, and 75
days after planting) and F5 (Control). The results of the experiments revealed that, responses of the maize
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varieties to the basal application of 40kg N ha before planting and 40kg N ha at 45 and 60 days after planting
had the significant highest plant heights for both varieties in 2015 and 2016. The control recorded the least
significant values for both maize varieties and in both years. The regime and time of nitrogen fertilizer use
significantly affected the yield parameters and yield of maize in both years of experimentation. Also, the two
maize varieties had similar yield characteristics. The combined application of nitrogen fertilizer at the rate of
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40 kgha at basal, 40 kgha at 45 and 60 days after planting is advised for optimum maize yield in the Nigeria
forest-savannah.