Corn grain yield and ¹⁵N-fertilizer recovery as a function of urea sidedress timing

Abstract

Best fertilizer management practices such as adopting the right N sidedress timing can reduce N losses by volatilization, thus, raising N-fertilizer recovery and grain yield. To evaluate ammonia (N-NH₃ ) losses, N-fertilizer recovery and grain yield as a function of urea sidedress timing in corn, a field study was conducted during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 growing seasons, adopting a complete randomized block design with four replications. Treatments consisted of urea sidedress timing (140 kg N ha-1) at V4, V6, V8, V10, and V12 growth stages, plus a control without sidedress N. The largest N losses by N-NH₃ volatilization occurred when urea was applied at V10 or V12 growth stages, reaching losses of 35 and 41 % of the total applied N. Although climatic factors influences N-NH₃ volatilization process, crop characteristics such as canopy development also seems to affect N-NH₃ losses. Nitrogen application at V4 or V6 growth stages resulted in greater N-fertilizer recovery from urea sidedress, reaching values of 53 %. No increase in corn grain yield was observed with N application at different corn growth stages during the two growing seasons evaluated, most likely due to high N mineralization rates from the soil.

Key words
¹⁵N isotope; Nitrogen fertilization; Nitrogen volatilization; Zea mays