An evaluation of corn productivity, cob length, plant height and number of corn lines on the cob as a result of nitrogen application and seed inoculation with Azospirillum spp. ("Graminante") was conducted from October 1997 to March 1998. The experiment was carried out on a high fertility Oxisol using Zea mays L. cv. G-1595 (Ciba) under no-tillage in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design representing application and non-application of nitrogen at planting (70 kg ha-1), application and non-application of broadcast nitrogen (70 kg ha-1) and presence or absence of seed inoculation with four replications. Results showed that with seed inoculation the corn productivity increased by 17% (from 5211 to 6067 kg ha-1) while corn cob length increased from 13.6 to 14.4 cm. On the other hand, no significant effects on the number of corn lines on the cob and on plant height were observed. Likewise, corn productivity was not affected by nitrogen addition either during planting or applied as broadcast.
inoculation; Zea mays; nitrogen; Azospirillum spp
