ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The Effects of Soil Supplementation
with Different Nitrogen Fertilizers on Select
Fertilization Indices in Two Types of Maize
Hybrids (Zea mays L.) and on Mineral Nitrogen
(Nmin) Contents in Soil
Piotr Szulc
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Department of Agronomy, Poznań University of Life Sciences,
Dojazd 11, 60-632 Poznań, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2013;22(4):1185-1195
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
This paper presents the effects of soil supplementation with different forms of nitrogen fertilizers on
select fertilization efficiency indices in two types of maize hybrids and on changes in contents of mineral nitrogen
in soil after maize harvest. Nitrogen content in grain of maize and its uptake with grain yield and utilization
were significantly higher for slow-release fertilizers in comparison to quick-release nitrogen fertilizers.
The application of 25 kg MgO·ha-1 significantly increased nitrogen uptake with grain yield and its utilization
in comparison to the object with no application of this macronutrient. Better indices of nitrogen use efficiency
were recorded for the stay-green hybrid cv. ES Paroli in comparison to the traditional cv. ES Palazzo.
Irrespective of the tested experimental factors, the percentage of nitrogen absorbed from the fertilizer in the
total amount of nitrogen uptake was less than 25%. The advantage of the stay-green hybrid in comparison to
the traditional cultivar in terms of nitrogen content in grain, the uptake of nitrogen with grain yield, and utilization
of nitrogen were significantly higher for slow-release nitrogen fertilizers. The combined application of
ammonium sulphate in fertilization with 25 kg MgO·ha-1 caused a negative increment in nitrogen uptake and
utilization in relation to other nitrogen fertilizers. Significantly less mineral nitrogen (Nmin) in soil after maize
harvest was detected in objects on which slow-release fertilizers (e.g. ammonium sulphate and urea) were used
in comparison to quick-release fertilizers (e.g. ammonium nitrate). The application of 25 kg MgO·ha-1 in comparison
to the object, where this macronutrient was not used, is a cultivation measure causing lower burden of
this biogen for the natural environment. The stay-green hybrid ES Paroli in relation to cv. ES Palazzo reduced
nitrogen eutrophication of the natural environment with mineral nitrogen. Only nitrate nitrogen was highly
correlated with total mineral nitrogen in soil at each depth of soil sample collection. The use of nitrogen fertilizers
caused an increase in the contents of nitrate nitrogen in the total amount of mineral nitrogen in the 0-
30 cm and 30-60 cm soil profiles. In turn, the application of magnesium and the stay-green cultivar reduced
the amount of N-NO3 in the total amount of Nmin in the period after the maize harvest.