Comparison of some New Maize Hybrids Response to Mineral Fertilization and some Nanofertilizers

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays, L.) production considered as one of the most important creal crops in Egypt to face the human and animal essential needs. In this respect, to increase the maize production, some continuous extension efforts had been done at both horizontal and vertical levels to study response of some new maize hybrids to mineral and nano- fertilization. Two field experiments were conducted at the Experimental Farm of Faculty of Agriculture (Saba- Basha), Alexandria University, Abess Region, Egypt, during two summer seasons of 2016 and 2017. A split plot design in three replicates was used. Main plots contain of four fertilization treatments “Mineral fertilizer (K and P) as foliar application, Mineral fertilizer (K and P) in soil, application of Nano- fertilizer (K and P) as foliar application, and mineral as soil application (K AND P) + nano- fertilizer as foliar (K AND P)”. While, sub-plots contained three yellow maize hybrids “Single Cross 162 (S.C. 162), Single Cross 166 (S.C. 166) and Single Cross 168 (S.C.168)”. The obtained results revealed that application of mineral fertilizer in the soil + foliar application of nano- fertilizer recorded the highest value of plant height, ear length and number of rows/ear, number of grains/row, number of grains/ear, 100- grain weight, biological, straw and grain yield. However, S.C.168 hybrid gave the highest grain yield and its components in comparison with other hybrids. On the other hand, interact maize hybrid S.C. 168 with foliar application of Nano- fertilizers (K and P) and soil application of mineral fertilization by K and P increased yield and its components of maize crop under the study Alexandria Governorate conditions.