Abstract
Field experiments were conducted in 2008 and 2009 in the Guinea Savanna ecology of Nigeria to investigate the effects of nitrogen fertilizer and micronutrients on the grain yield of two quality maize and two normal maize varieties. The treatments were four rates of inorganic fertilizer N (0, 50, 100, 150 kg Nha-1) and two rates of cocktail micronutrient mixtures. These were tested in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications and the treatments were factorially combined. The results from the study revealed that the quality protein maize varieties (SUSUMA and SAMMAZ 14) attained maximum performance at 100 kg Nha-1 relative to 150 kg Nha-1 by the normal varieties (SAMMAZ 12 and SAMMAZ 11) which means the QPM were more N efficient and superior to normal maize in yield by 21.43 %. SUSUMA and SAMMAZ 14 responded to the micronutrients added which suggested that the soil was slightly deficient in micronutrients as yield levels of maize were increased consistently by margins of 18-26% with the application of micronutrient cocktail. SAMMAZ 14 and SUSUMA (QPM) varieties were recommended because they were more economical in the use of nitrogen fertilizer.
Keywords:
micronutrients
varieties
nitrogen
northern
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