Influence of Nitrogen Fertilization, Its Time of Application and Intra -Row Spacing on Growth Performance of Extra Early Maize in the Sudan Savanna, Nigeria

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the 2016 and 2017 dry seasons at Institute for Agricultural Research Farm Kadawa and Zobe Irrigation Fields at to study the influence of intra-row spacing, nitrogen fertilizer and time of its application on the performance of extra early maize. The treatments tested consisted of factorial combinations of three levels of nitrogen (0, 60, and 120 kg/ha), three intra row spacing (15 cm, 25 cm, and 35 cm) and three different times of fertilizer application (at planting+4WAS, 2WAS+4WAS and 2WAS+4WAS+6WAS). The treatments were laid in a split-plot design in four replications with the combination of nitrogen levels and its times of application assigned to the main plot, while intra row spacing assigned to sub-plot. The results of the investigation showed that 25 cm and 35 cm intra row spacing produced the tallest plants, higher number of leaves per plant and number of grains per row at Dutsinma. At Kadawa most of the parameters showed no significant effect on intra row spacing. Nitrogen fertilizer at 120 kg/ha resulted in higher values of growth parameters at both locations. Time of fertilizer application affected growth performance such as plant height, number of leaves per plant and number of days to tasseling and silking at both locations.