Comparative response of some tropical maize hybrid and their parental varieties to low and high nitrogen regime

Omolaran Bello,Charity Aremu,Sunday Ayodele Ige,Stephen Abolusoro

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07909

Abstract

The study was carried to investigate the differential response of some maize hybrids and their open pollinated parents to low and high nitrogen soil condition. Ten open-pollinated varieties were crossed in a partial diallel fashion to generate 45 F1 hybrids during the 2011 cropping season at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria. The 45 F1 hybrids and the ten parents were evaluated in four environments at Mokwa and Zaria in August, 2012 under high and low N conditions with two different levels of nitrogen application (30kgha-1 and 90kgha-1) respectively.Hybrids recorded shorter plant height under the two different nitrogen fertilizer conditions compare with open pollinated parents. Thus the hybrids are better for mechanical harvesting. Taller ear height was observed among the hybrids compare with the open pollinated parents; rate of stem and root lodging were consequently higher among the hybrids. Hybrid had better husk cover under both nitrogen fertilizer regime; that's they will be less susceptible to insect and animal attack.Mean difference of ear per plant between the maize hybrids and open pollinated parents was not significant. Significant difference was observed between maize hybrids and their parents for grain yield under low and high fertilizer regimes. That the hybrids had higher grain yield under both nitrogen fertilizer regime; indicates the tolerance of maize hybrid to low-N condition than the parental varieties. Low-N environment seemed to favor shorter day to silk for maize hybrid, however, high nitrogen soil condition appeared to increase day to silk. It is an evidence that flowering and consequently maturity time is delayed under favorable nitrogen soil environments.Days to 50% pollen shed are significantly different among the maize hybrids and their parents. The maize hybrids attained day to pollen earlier than the parents under both fertilizer regime. It is an indication that setting of maize grain occur earlier among hybrids than their open pollinated parents.

Highlights

Tropical soil is mostly identified with low nitrogen level as result of continuous cropping which eventually resulted to low crop yield [1]
Low-N environment seemed to favor shorter day to silk for maize hybrid, high nitrogen soil condition appeared to increase day to silk
That Era 1 versus era 2 and (Era 1 versus era 2) x environment mean square components were not significant for all the traits measured under low and high-N, suggests that there were no substantial differences between the means of the genotypes in the two eras and that their performances remained stable across the two locations

Summary

Introduction

Tropical soil is mostly identified with low nitrogen level as result of continuous cropping which eventually resulted to low crop yield [1]. Nitrogen is very important for maize production including all the grass family. Nitrogen is vital in the utilization of other two principal plant nutrient i.e. phosphorus and potassium [2]. Nitrogen is lost from the soil through leaching and volatilization. Nitrogen fertilizer are not available to some of the local farmers due to unavailability, cost of procurement, and lack of technical know how about its application [3]. Development of low-N tolerance varieties is considered as the best alternative way to improve maize grain yield in low nitrogen environment in the tropics and reduce the residual effects of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer application on animal and human being

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion