DEPARTMENT OF PLANT SCIENCE

EFFECT OF NITROGEN APPLICATION ON YIELD AND

• 1.INTRODUCTION............................................................................................ 1
• 1.1 BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATIN............................................................... 1
• 1.2 Statement of the problem.......................................................................... 2
•  1.3 Objectives............................................................................................ 2
• 2.LITERATURE REVIW........................................................................................ 3
• 2.1 Aggro-Ecologies and Production of Maize in Ethiopian..................................3
• 2.2Yield Related Traits.......................................................................................3
• 2.3Grain Yield................................................................................................... 4
• 2.4 Effect of Nitrogen Rate and Time of Application on Maize Quality Traits.... 6
• 2.5 Nitrogen Use Efficiency................................................................................ 7
• 2.6Response of Maize to Nitrogen rate and Time of application.................... 8
• 2.7 EFFECTS OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER ON GROWTH PARAMETERS................. 9
• 2.8 EFFECT OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER ON MAIZE YIELD COMPONENTS AND GRAIN YIELD... 10
• 3.CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION.......................................................... 11
• Reference.............................................................................................................. 12
 ABSTRACT
• Maize is an important crop in Ethiopia. It is grown in the mid highland areas of the
country. It is also an important source of income for farmers and used as directly
human food in different forms. Applying the optimum nitrogen rate and N application
timing is most important for raising the grain yield of corn and improving nitrogen use
efficiency in using nitrogen. Nitrogen fertilizer is the most limiting factors in the study
area since the area is characterized with high amount of rainfall that causes leaching
and runoff. High yield maize and drought resistant hybrid varieties of maize (melkasa 1
varieties) was used. Nitrogen fertilizer in the form of urea (46%) was used. The
treatment consists of four rates of nitrogen rate (0N g, 23kg, 46kg, and 69kg) and
applied two times. The experiment was laid out in the randomized complete design
(RCBD) with treatment replicated three times contain 12 plots. The recommended rate
of N (urea) fertilizer (100kg/ha) were equally applied to all plots at the time of sowing.
Data on plant growth parameter (leaf number, yield and yields component) number of
kernels number of rows per ear, ear length and total grains was collected and
analyzed.
• Key word: Fertilizer, yield, Maize
 1.INTRODUCTION
• 1.1 BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATIN
• Maize (Zea mays L.) is the world’s widely grown highland cereal and
primary staple food crop in many developing countries (Kandil, 2013). It
was originated in America and first cultivated in the area of Mexico more
than 7,000 years ago, and spread throughout North and South America
(Hailare, 2000). In the world production, maize is ranked as the third
major cereal crop after wheat and rice (Zamiret al., 2013). World
production of white maize is estimated to be around 65 to 70 million
tons (Statista, 2015). Maize is an important crop in Ethiopia. It is grown in
the mid highland areas of the country. There are huge tracts of land in all
regions suitable for maize farming. Maize is mainly produced in SNNPR
and Oromia regions where there are about 1.77 million hectares under
cultivation. (Ethiopian Investment Agency (WWW.eia.gov.et)).
• It is second to tef (Eragrostistef) in area coverage but first in
productivity and total production among all cereals. Approximately
9.3 million smallholder farmers in this country grow maize, mainly for
human consumption. It is also an important source of income for
farmers and used as directly human food in different forms. It is
composed of approximately 76 -88% of carbohydrate, 6-16% of
protein, 4-5.7% fat and 1.3% of minerals. Nitrogen is the key element
in increasing productivity and the increase of agricultural food
production worldwide over the past four decades has been
associated with a 7-fold increase in the use of N fertilizers
(Rahimzadeh 2010). Ideal nitrogen management optimizes yield, farm
profit and nitrogen use efficiency white it minimizes the potential for
leaching of nitrogen beyond the crop rooting zone (Rahmati, 2009).
• Raun and Johnson (1999) reported that nitrogen use efficiency is variable
between with mean of only 33% of applied nitrogen recovered by cereal
crops. According to (Sowers et al.1994), the application of high N rates
may result in poor N uptake and low nitrogen use efficiency due to
excessive N losses. The most logical approach to increasing N fertilizer
use efficiency is to supply nitrogen when it is needed by the crop
(Keeney, 1982). Maize begins to rapidly take up N during the middle of
vegetative growth period with the maximum rate of N uptake occurring
near silking (Hanway, 1962). Therefore, applying the optimum nitrogen
rate and N application timing is most important for raising thegrain yield
of corn and improving nitrogen use efficiency in using nitrogen.
Therefore the aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of N application
rates on yield and yield component of maize.
 1.2 Statement of the problem
• Maize is an important crop in Ethiopia. However, the productivity is
very low as compared to the average National productivity. Nitrogen
is key element in increasing productivity. However large amount of
Nitrogen less to the environment could cause serious environmental
problem such as ground water contamination (chenetal,
2004).Therefore it needs optimize nitrogen management.
• The low productivity of maize is attributed to many factors like
decline of soil fertility, poor agronomic practices, and limited use of,
insufficient technology generation, poor seed quality, disease,
insect, pest and weeds. Nitrogen fertilizer is the most limiting
factors in the study area since the area is characterized with high
amount of rainfall that causes leaching and runoff
 1.3 Objectives
• 1.3.1 General Objective
• To review the effect of nitrogen application on yield and
yield components of maize
• 1.3.2 Specific objective
• To review the effect of nitrogen application on yield of
maize
• To review the effect of nitrogen application on yield
component of maize
• To review the effect nitrogen rate on production and
productivity of maize
 2.LITERATUR REVIW
• 2.1 Aggro-Ecologies and Production of Maize in
Ethiopian
• Maize is one of the most important food crops
world-wide. It has the highest average yield per
hectare and it is
• own in most parts of the world over a wide range of
environmental conditions. Maize is generally less
suited to semi arid or equatorial climates, although
drought-tolerant cultivars adapted to semi rid
conditions are now available.
• crop requires an average daily temperature of at least 20 oC for
adequate growth and development; the optimum temperature
for growth and development ranges between 25-30 oC;
temperature above 35 oC reduces yields (Brink and belay,
2006). Frost can damage maize at all growth stages and a frost-
free period of 120 to 140 days is required to prevent damage.
Leaves of mature plants are easily damaged by frost and grain
filling can be adversely affected. Maize is widely grown in most
parts of the world over a wide range of environmental
conditions ranging between 50o latitude north and south of the
equator. It is also grown from sea level to over 3000 meters
above sea level (masl) elevation (Singh, 1987).
• The maize productivity gap between stressed
and high potential areas is not only an issue of
technology but also differences in climatic
factors. Unavailability of improved infrastructure
and maize grain marketing represents major
limiting factors for maize production. Wise
utilization and conservation of natural resources
will also have a significant impact on maize grain
production (Mosisa et al., 2001).
 2.2Yield Related Traits
• Nitrogen is one of the most yield-limiting nutrients for
crop production in the world. It is also the nutrient
element applied in the largest quantity for most annual
crops (Huber and Thompson, 2007). Nitrogen also
increases shoot dry matter, which is positively associated
with grain yield in cereals and legumes (Fageria, 2007a;
Fageria, 2008). Maize biomass yield increases with
increase in plant density and N rate (Gaurkar and Bharad,
1998). Increase in biological yield for maize under various
N rates has been reported by other researchers (Cox et
al., 1993).
• In a study by Hammad et al. (2011), biological yield increased with
application of N up to 300 kg/ ha. These results are also supported by
the findings of Khaliq et al. (2009) who achieved 17.61 t/ha mean
biological yields with application of different N rates. The study by Sabir
et al. (2000) indicated the average harvest index ranging between 30 and
50%. Leaf area influences interception and utilization of solar radiation of
maize crop canopies and, on sequent, maize dry matter accumulation
and grain yield. Leaf area and number are important factors in the
estimation of canopy photosynthesis in crop growth simulation models
that compute dry matter accumulation from temporal integration of
canopy photosynthesis (Boote et al., 1996). Oscar and Tollenaar (2006)
reported that width of the area per leaf profile decreases under high soil
nitrogen level and high plant density.
 2.3Grain Yield
• Grain yield is a function of genotype x environment interaction (Annicchiarico, 2002).A
more acceptable crop genotype is the one which exhibits wide adaptability to varying
environments. In a given environment, the grain yield of a particular maize genotype
depends on its potential grain yield components (Grafius, 1960). Grain yield of maize is a
product of three yields components, i.e. the number of ears per unit area, the number of
grains per ear and the unit grain weight (Gardner et al., 1985). Increase or decrease in any
one of these components, keeping the size of other components constant, contributes to
increase or decrease in grain yield, respectively, and thus any exercise whether agronomic
(management) or breeding type (genotype), which increase any of these components,
keeping the other components constant, will increase the final grain yield. Devi et al.
(2001) reported that ears plant-1, ear length, number of seeds ear-1 and 100-seed weight
directly influence the grain yield and indirectly affect several other parameters. On the
other hand, grain yield is the main target of crop production. Yield is significantly affected
by both N application timing and nitrogen rates. Nitrogen levels significantly increase the
grain yield. Yield varying between 4744.8 kg/ha in no nitrogen application and 7355.5 kg
N/ ha with application of 225 kg N/ ha have been reported by ( Ali and Raouf (2012).