Effect of split application of nitrogen on the different growth stages of Kharif Maize

The field experiment was conducted at Cotton Research Station, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani. Dist. Parbhani during Kharif season of 2015 to study the effect of split application of nitrogen on growth stages of kharif maize (Zea mays.L)”. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications. The treatment details of experiment factor comprised seven split application of nitrogen treatments viz.,100% Nitrogen at sowing (T1), 75%N at sowing +25%N at 30 DAS (T2), 50%N at sowing +50% N at 30 DAS (T3), 25% N at sowing +75%N at 30 DAS (T4), 25%N at sowing +50% N at 30 DAS + 25% at 60 DAS (T5), 33%N at sowing + 33%N at 30 DAS + 33% at 60 DAS (T6) and 25% N at sowing + 25%N at 30 DAS+25% at 60DAS +25% N at 60 DAS (T7).The maximum effect of nitrogen found in the tesseling stage which occurs about 50 to 60DAS.Maximum vegetative growth cover in 60 DAS after that nitrogen use efficient decreases in the maize plant. Treatment T6 recorded significantly the highest growth and yield attributes viz., plant height, number of functional leaves, leaf area, dry matter accumulation, stem girth, number of internodes as compare to other treatments. The maize requires the more nitrogen demand from emergence stage to tesseling stage (vegetative growth period) as compare to other crop-period. At the tesseling stage is very sensitive to nitrogen application for the better grain development.