Author(s): GARCIA FUENTES, L. F.; SOUZA, L. C. F. de; SERRA, A. P.; RECH, J.; VITORINO, A. C. T.

Summary: The objective of this work was to evaluate corn agronomic traits in a cultivation subjected to different N rates, during the fall?winter (off-season) and spring?summer crop seasons, and N recovery from fertilizer. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with four replicates, in a 5x2 factorial arrangement, with the following treatments: five N topdressing rates ? 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 kg ha-1 ?, using urea as source; and two crop seasons, fall?winter and spring?summer. The following variables were determined: plant height, height of the first ear insertion, number of grains per ear, diameter and length of ear, 1,000-grain weight, N concentration in the leaves and grains, grain-protein concentration, grain yield, N recovery from fertilizer, and soil-N supply. Nitrogen rates in the fertilizer in the fall?winter season had no effect on grain yield, although corn agronomic traits showed a greater reliance on fertilizer-N rates in that season than in the spring?summer, which is a season associated to a greater capacity of soil-N supply to plants. The quantification of soil-N supply enabled knowing the nutrient dynamics during the fall?winter and the spring?summer seasons, which may be useful to guide N fertilization of corn.

Publication year: 2018

Types of publication: Journal article

Unit: Embrapa Beef Cattle

Keywords: De N pelo solo, Fertilidade do Solo, Manejo da adubação nitrogenada, N-fertilizer management, Nutrição de plantas, Plant nutrition, Soil fertility, Soil-N supply, Zea Mays