Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Foliar Spraying with Humic Acid on Productivity of Maize, Soybean and Ear Rot Disease of Maize

Abstract

In the field, two experiments were confirmed in 2017 in addition to 2018 seasons at Sakha Agricultural Researches Station Farm, Agricultural Research Center, Egypt, toward investigate the influence of nitrogen levels (100, 110 and 120 kg N/fed) and spraying with humic-acid levels (without , 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 g/L) on growth, yield and its attributes, as well ear rot disease of maize under intercropping system of maize and soybean. The field trials were executed in three replicates using split-plot design. The main-plots were consigned to nitrogen levels. The sub-plots were deal out to four levels of humic-acid as foliar spraying. Growth, yield and its attributes of both maize and soybean under intercropping system were significantly improved by rising N-levels from 100 to 110 and 120 kg N/fed and the recommended one was 120 kg N/fed which led to decrease ear rot disease infection and severity. Spraying with humic-acid (7.5 g/L) produced highest growth, yield and its attributes of both maize and soybean under intercropping system and caused more reduction in ear rot disease infection and severity. It can be recommended that the maximum growth, productivity, land equivalent ratio (LER), relative crowding coefficient (RCC), total income (LE), i.e.10588.60 and 11032 LE, respectively, economic return (LE) and lowest ear rot disease infection and severity (in maize) under intercropping system of both soybean and maize were obtained from spraying with humic-acid (7.5 g/L) and fertilizing with 120 kg N/fed beneath the environmental circumstances of Kafrelsheikh Governorate, Egypt.