Effect of Magnetic Irrigation Water and Nitrogen Fertilizer Forms on Maize (Zea maize L.) Growth, Yield and Nitrogen Utilization Rate.

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the screen house of Agric. Res. Station, Sakha, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate during the two successive summer seasons of 2015 and 2016 to investigate the effect of magnetic irrigation water and nitrogen fertilizer forms on maize growth, productivity and nitrogen utilization rate %. A split plot design was used. Zea maize seeds, third hybrid 324 were sown on June in both seasons. The recommended N fertilizer rate (120kg N.fed-1 ). was applied in three fertilizer forms of 1- Urea 46%N or 2- Ammonium nitrate 33.5% N and or 3- ammonium sulphate 20.5% N under two irrigation water treatments of (normal water , and magnetized water). The other agricultural practices were performed . The obtained results can be summarized as follow: - No significant effects of magnetic water were observed on plant height, number of leaves.plant-1 in first and second seasons but no significant on leaf area diameters in the first season only. Also no significant effects on chlorophyll A, ear diameter, ear length, biomass, available P in the soil after harvesting and nitrogen uptake in the first season. - Magnetic water significantly increased chlorophyll B, straw yield, available N in the soil after harvesting, P uptake and N uptake in the second season only .- Magnetic water (from nefertari Biomagneric company)significantly decreased grain yield of maize and N-utilization rate compared with the non-magnetic water.- Ammonium nitrate as N fertilizer form had the highest values of plant height, number of leaves.plant-1, leaf area, ear length, grain yield, N uptake, P uptake, and N utilization rate. - Urea fertilizer as N form significantly increased chlorophyll A, B, total chlorophyll and decreased N utilization rate. - Ammonium sulphate with magnetic irrigation water had higher values for ear diameter, biomass, straw yield and available N, P in the soil after maize harvest compared with the magnetic water treatments. - The interaction between magnetic irrigation water and N-forms show that magnetic water decreased N utilization rate from ammonium sulphate and increased N utilization rate from ammonium nitrate.