Dataset on effects of nitrogen fertilizer and soil moisture levels on the performance of Water Efficient Maize (WEMA) on Ferric Luvisol and Rhodic Ferralsol soils

The most important factors affecting maize production are water stress and nitrogen deficiency. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to assess the influence of different N fertilizers and soil moisture levels on the growth and yields of the WEMA variety on two different soils. The experiment was designed in a factorial of 5 × 2 × 2 fitted into a three replicate completely randomized design. Treatments included five N fertilizer rates (0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 kg N/ha), two soil moisture levels [45 and 100% field capacity], and two soil types. The morphological traits, physiological traits, drought indices and agronomic efficiency were determined. The data were analyzed using GenStat, version 11, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and differences in treatment means were assessed with a probability of 5% using the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The associations between the measured parameters were examined using regression and correlation analysis. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) of GenStat, edition 11, and differences in treatment means were tested using the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) with a probability of 5%. The regression and correlation analyses were used to examine the relationships between the measured parameters.


a b s t r a c t
The most important factors affecting maize production are water stress and nitrogen deficiency.A greenhouse experiment was conducted to assess the influence of different N fertilizers and soil moisture levels on the growth and yields of the WEMA variety on two different soils.The experiment was designed in a factorial of 5 × 2 × 2 fitted into a three replicate completely randomized design.Treatments included five N fertilizer rates (0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 kg N/ha), two soil moisture levels [45 and 100% field capacity], and two soil types.The morphological traits, physiological traits, drought indices and agronomic efficiency were determined.The data were analyzed using GenStat, version 11, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and differences in treatment means were assessed with a probability of 5% using the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT).The associations between the measured parameters were examined using regression and correlation analysis.Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) of GenStat, edition 11, and differences in treatment means were tested using the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) with a probability of 5%.The regression and correlation analyses were used to examine the relationships between the measured parameters.

Value of the Data
• The dataset revealed the response of the growth and grain yield of WEMA maize to varying soil types.• The data indicated the influence of various soil moisture levels on morphological and physiological traits and drought indices of WEMA maize.• The data presents the influence of different nitrogen rates on dry matter traits, yield component and agronomic and water use efficiencies.• The dataset revealed the relationship between soil types, soil moisture levels and nitrogen rates on measured parameters.• A general agronomist and soil physicist can use the data.

Objective
Water and nitrogen are the most restricting factors for agricultural productivity worldwide, particularly in arid and semiarid countries.In various parts of South Africa, where water and nitrogen are the most limiting nutrient, low yields are particularly prevalent in maize fields.This dataset was collected to assess the respond of Water Efficiency Maize for Africa (WEMA) to different nitrogen fertilizer rates and water stresses on the Ferric Luvisol and Rhodic Ferralsol soils.Therefore, the data can be used to examine the performance of WEMA maize to various nitrogen fertilizer and soil moisture levels on the Ferric Luvisol and Rhodic Ferralsol soils.The data can be used by researchers and farmers as a guideline for identifying the degree of tolerance of WEMA maize to different nitrogen and soil moisture levels on the Ferric Luvisol and Rhodic Ferralsol soils.

Data Description
The data set revealed the influence of different soil moisture levels and nitrogen fertilizer rates on growth, grain yield and water use efficiency of the WEMA variety on Ferric Luvisol and Rhodic Ferric soil types.The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using two categories of soil (Ferric Luvisol and Rhodic Ferralsol soil) soil physicochemical as indicated in Table 1 .Table 2 expressed the effect of varying N and soil moisture levels on PAR at 6, 8 and 12 weeks after sowing (WAS).Table 3 exhibited the response of plant height: shoot dry weight and shoot dry weight: plant height of cultivated maize plant to soil moisture levels and different nitrogen rates on Ferric Luvisol and Rhodic Ferric soil types at 6, 8 and 12 WAS.
In addition, Table 4 demonstrates the respond of ear characteristics of WEMA maize to different nitrogen fertilizer and soil moisture level under distinct soil types.Table 5 displays the influence of soil types, soil moisture levels, and nitrogen fertilizer rates on dry matter attributes.The response of nutritional quality of grown maize plant as affected by varying nitrogen fertilizer and soil moisture on the Ferric Luvisol and Rhodic Ferric soil types as indicated in Table 6 .The influence of soil type, soil moisture and nitrogen fertilizer rates on grain yield and yield components, as represented in Table 7 .Table 8 revealed regression between grain yield, physiological traits, dry matter attributes and agronomic efficiency.Furthermore, Tables 9 presents the correlation between yield and ear traits.Similarly, the relationship between the nitrogen fertilizer rates and drought tolerance indices as indicated in Table 10 .The data raw of plant height, shoot dry matter ratio, active photosynthetic radiation and ear traits were included in (Excel spread sheets 1 and 2).Likewise, the data raw data of the dry matter attributes, drought indices, nutritional quality, yield and yield components, and agronomic efficiency were comprised of Excel spreadsheets 3 -7).at depths ranging from 0 to 15 cm from from the North-West University's (NWU) Research Farm and the Taung Experimental Station (27 °30 ‫׳‬ S, 24 °30 ‫׳‬ E; 1 111 m above sea level) of the Provincial Department of Agriculture.The relative humidity in a greenhouse varies from 63 to 74%, while the temperature is between 24 and 33 °C.In contrast to the loamy sand soil of the Taung experimental site, which is classed as a Rhodic Ferralsol, the soil in Molelwane is a sandy loam and is referred to as a Ferric Luvisol.Soil samples were taken at depths ranging from 0 to 15 cm and analyzed using the standard techniques of the South African Soil Science Guidelines [7] and field capacity for the corresponding fields was determined as described by Kebede et al. [3] .Table 1 displays the results of the preliminary soil analysis.The experiment was set up as a 5 × 2 × 2 factorial with three replications in a completely randomized design block ( Photos 1 , 2 , 3 ).Five nitrogen fertilization rates (0 (0g/pot), 60 (0.54/pot), 120 (1.08g/pot), 180 (1.62g/pot), and 240 (2.12 g/pot) kg N/ha), two soil moisture levels (45% and 100% field capacity (FC), and two soil types (Ferric Luvisol and Rhodic Ferralsol) were used as treatment factors.The soil was sieve to remove the plant debris and stone.Plastic pots of 475 mm x 270.70 mm x 339.65 mm dimensions, with perforations sieved using a 6 mm mesh at the bottom, and covered with plumber sellotape to prevent soil loss and leaching, were filled with 18 kg of soil.A total of 180 pots (3 pots/treatment factor) were used.The pots were watered to FC and allowed to equilibrate for eight hours, after which two seeds of WEMA, variety WE3127, were sown in each pot.In order to remove plant debris and stone, the soil was sieved with a 6 mm mesh sieve.Plastic pots (475 mm x 270.70 mm x 339.65 mm) with perforations at the bottom and covered with plumber sellotape to prevent soil loss and leaching were filled with 18 kg of soil.A total of 180 pots (3 pots/treatment component) were used.The pots were watered to field capacity and allowed to equilibrate for eight hours before planting two seeds of WEMA, variety WE3127, in each pot.After 10 days, the seedlings were thinned to one plant per pot.Half of the nitrogen fertilizer (NPK 20:7:3) was applied 10 days after seedling emergence and the other half was applied in the form of lime ammonium nitrate (28% N).The watering treatment was done every two days.The Ferric Luvisol received 1.22 and 2.72 L of water, while the Rhodic Ferralsol received 1.26 and 2.81 L of water, guaranteeing that

Data Collection
Data were obtained six, eight, and twelve weeks after sowing (WAS).According to Gallego-Cedillo et al. [6] , the plant height shoot ratio, shoot dry weight, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) data were measured using the ACCUPAL Model LP-80 PAR/LAI Ceptometer, and the dry matter attributes were obtained using the techniques outlined by Kumar et al. [5] and Khatibi et al. [4] .At harvesting, one ear per plant per pot was harvested and shelled.The yield/pot  Water use efficiency was calculated as follows: Water use efficiency ( % ) =

Grain yield g/pot
Quant it y of water applied ( L )

Statistical Analysis
All data obtained were subjected to ANOVA using the GenStat 11th version.The DMRT was used to differentiate differences in treatment means at a 5% probability level.The regression relationship between nitrogen fertilizer rates was assessed using the Excel program, whilst the association between grain yield and PAR was analyzed using the SPSS program.This work confirms the high importance of agricultural sciences in different applications.

Ethics Statements
This experiment does not involve studies with animals and humans.

Data Availability
Dataset on effects of nitrogen fertilizer and soil moisture levels on the performance of Water Efficient Maize (WEMA) on Ferric Luvisol and Rhodic Ferralsol soils (Original data) (Mendeley Data).

Table 1
Physico-chemical properties of the soil types.

Table 2
Effect of soil types, soil moisture and nitrogen fertilizer rates on photosynthetically active radiation (nm).

Table 3 Influence
of soil types, soil moisture and nitrogen fertilizer rates on plant height: shoot dry weight ratio and shoot dry weight: plant height ratio.

Table 4
Effect of soil types, soil moisture and nitrogen fertilizer rates on yield attributes of WEMA maize.

Table 5
Respond of dry matter attributes to soil types, soil moisture and nitrogen fertilizer rates.

Table 6
Effect of soil types, soil moisture and nitrogen fertilizer rates on the nutritional quality of WEMA maize.

Table 7
Yield and yield components of WEMA maize as affected by soil types, soil moisture and different nitrogen fertilizer rates.

Table 8
Regression analysis of physiological indices, agronomic effciency indices and yield of WEMA maize parameters.On each soil type and soil moisture level, the total qualities of water applied during the trial period were 130.56 and 58.56 L, respectively, and 134.88 and 61.44 L.

Table 9
Correlation relationship between yield, photosynthetically active radiation and ear traits.Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).