Assessment of Nutrient Uptake on the Performance and Yield of Extra-EarlyudMaize (Zea mays L.) Under two water Regimes in the Sudan Savannah of Nigeria

摘要

Two separate field trials were conducted during the 2005 rainy season and 2006 dry season at the Research Farm of the Institute forudAgricultural Research (IAR), Kadawa in the Sudan Savannah of Nigeria to assess the nutrient uptake on the performance and yieldudof extra-early maize (Zea mays L.) under two water regimes. The treatments consisted of four NPK rates (0:0:0, 60:30:30, 120:60:60,udand 180:90:90 Kg ha-1) and one plant population (53,000 plants ha-1). In 2005, the experiment was rain- fed while in 2006 during theuddry season the experiment was irrigated. Under the two water regimes, the experiments were factorially combined and laid out inudRandomised Complete Block Design with four replicates. The results showed that application of 60:30:30kgNPKha-1 was generallyudoptimum for 100-grain weight and grain yield (1, 429.40 and 2, 929.60 kg ha-1 for rain-fed and irrigated plants respectively). Whenudthe grain yields were regressed against fertilizer rates, the response was quadratic and positively significant for the grain yields underudthe two water regimes. The regression analysis revealed that under rain-fed, grain yield was optimum (1,700 kg ha-1) when 900 kgudNPK ha-1 was applied while under irrigation, grain yield was optimum (3, 500 kg ha-1) when 750 kg NPK ha-1 was applied. The resultudalso showed that nutrient up-take in irrigated plants is higher than in plants under rain-fed and this translate to higher yield at all ratesudof NPK fertilizer.