The subject of this study was the calibration of a Minolta SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter for evaluation of the N nutrition of maize, firstly comparing the chlorophyll readings to the contents obtained from either 80% acetone or N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) chlorophyll extrators. The chlorophyll of the maize leaves cultivated under zerotillage after oat and lupin for two consecutive harvests was evaluated in a field experiment. The chlorophyll extraction after 72 hours in DMF solution, was the most suitable for the calibration of the SPAD502 chlorophyll meter for maize and its use was coherent with the nutritional status of the crop.
Avena strigosa; Lupinus albus; green manures; nutritional status
