Abstract
The effect of several N carriers applied in the surface irrigation water on the growth, yield and N status of maize was studied in 2 seasons. The carriers applied in the water included anhydrous ammonia, ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and urea and they were compared with a preplant band application of anhydrous ammonia and a control treatment. All N treatments received 100 kg N ha−1. The site used in the second experiment was less responsive to N fertiliser than the first site and the crop growth in the second season was affected by an attack of charcoal rot (Macrophomina phaseolina).
Urea, as a N source for fertigation, was superior to the ammonium forms, while the nitrate carriers were the least efficient. Water-run urea increased the maize yield by 27% when compared with the band application in the first season but was 6% lower in the second season. Fertigation allowed N to be applied during the grand period of growth when N stress was most likely to occur. This technique for applying N fertiliser to surface irrigated crops has been adopted by commercial growers.
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Muirhead, W., Melhuish, F. & White, R. Comparison of several nitrogen fertilisers applied in surface irrigation systems. I. Crop response. Fertilizer Research 6, 97–109 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01051004
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01051004