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How to increase nutrient use efficiency in maize fertilization

 

This field trial's goal was to determine the best coating-ratio and the N level for maize, compared with fertigation, and to test the influence of CRF application methods

Descripion

Crop / Cultivar Maize
Area Eraclea, Italy
Objectives • To determine the best coating ratio and the N level for Maize in sandy soil, compared with fertigation
• To test the influence of CRF application methods: broadcasting versus banding
Haifa product + formula Multicote™ Agri, Coated Urea (2) 43-0-0
Accomplish objectives Full
Report date 2010
Type of partner’s business Trial station

Methods and Materials

Experimental plan Fully randomly
Repetitions

4

Treatments

Farmer Practice- FP

Application time Kg N/ha Fertilizer
Pre-sowing 300 Anhydrous Ammonia (82% N)
Sowing time 120 MAP 14-46-0
Total N applied in FP: 260 kg/ha
Application method N level (of N removed) % of coated Urea Kg N/ha
Broadcast and banding 125% 0 187
125% 25 187
125% 50 187
150% 0 225
150% 25 225
150% 50 225
Application methods Base dressing: broadcast and banding
Sowing/Transplanting date 20.4.2010
Harvest date 6.10.2010
Soil characteristics Sandy soil
Irrigation method 6 times in the season
Climate conditions Month Precipitation
May 71
June 193
July 65
August 87
September 229
General results   N level: kg/ha % of coated N Average FP
Treatment / Application method 187 225 0 25 50    
MT/ha mean Production
Banding 17.5 18.1 17.4 18.6 17.5 17.8  
Broadcasting 11.5 11 11.3 11.7 10.8 11.3  
Average 14.5 14.6 14.3 15.1 14.1 14.5 11

Conclusions

Summary

In this experiment the application method had the highest impact on the Nutrient Use Efficiency, where the impact of the coated/uncoated ratio was minor.

the application of the nutrients via banding combined with the 25% coated N product seems to be the most efficient way to match the nutrients release pattern with the plants N demand, minimizing the N losses and reaching the highest N-NUE