Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T03:04:50.915Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Nitrogen efficiency of urea and calcium ammonium nitrate for maize (Zea mays) in humid and subhumid regions of Nigeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

Y. Arora
Affiliation:
Soil Science Department, Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, P. M. B. 1044, Zaria, Nigeria
L. A. Nnadi
Affiliation:
Soil Science Department, Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, P. M. B. 1044, Zaria, Nigeria
A. S. R. Juo
Affiliation:
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, P. M. B. 5320, Ibadan, Nigeria

Summary

Field experiments on efficiency of fertilizer N applied as calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) and urea to no-tillage maize (Zea mays) were conducted under humid (Onne) and subhumid (Mokwa) conditions. At both the locations the rate of N was 150 kg/ha.

A comparison of apparent crop recovery of applied N indicated that CAN was a more effective N source than urea under subhumid conditions (Mokwa) but that urea was more effective under humid conditions (Onne). In 1981, percentages of applied N recovered by the maize crop at Onne were 28 and 50% from CAN and urea, respectively, whereas the recovery at Mokwa was 46 and 34%, respectively. Total recovery by crop and soil (0–120cm) of CAN at Onne with divided application was equivalent to that at Mokwa with single application at planting (54%). However, the total recovery of urea was much lower at Mokwa (40%) than at Onne (60%). The results in 1982 followed similar trends. Excessive N leaching loss from CAN under humid conditions and volatilization loss from urea under subhumid conditions are considered to be the reasons for poor efficiency of fertilizer N.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arora, Y. & Juo, A. S. R. (1982). Leaching of fertilizer ions in a kaolinitic ultisol in the high rainfall tropics: leaching of nitrate in field plots under cropping and bare fallow. Soil Science Society of America Journal 46, 12121218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arora, Y., Mulongoy, K. & Juo, A. S. R. (1986). Nitrification and mineralization potentials in a limed ultisol in the humid tropics. Plant and Soil 92, 153157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Avinimelech, Y. & Laher, M. (1977). Ammonia volatilization from soils: equilibrium considerations. Soil Science Society of America Journal 41, 10801084.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DuPlessis, M. C. F. & Kroonjte, W. (1964). Relationship between pH and ammonia equilibria in soil. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 28, 751754.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fox, R. H. & Hoffman, L. D. (1981). The effect of N fertilizer source on grain yield, N uptake, soil pH, and lime requirement in no-till corn. Agronomy Journal 73, 891895.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenland, D. J. (1975). Bringing the green revolution to the shifting cultivator. Science 190, 841844.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haque, I. (1979). Timing the application of N to maize in Sierra Leone. Experimental Agriculture 15, 247251.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, M. J. (1973). Time of application of nitrogen fertilizer to maize at Samaru, Nigeria. Experimental Agriculture 9, 113120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kano, B. T., Donlesh, F. & Moody, K. (1977). Soil fertility management investigations on benchmark soils in the humid low altitude tropics of West Africa: investigations on Egbeda soil series. Agronomy Journal 69, 651656.Google Scholar
Lal, R. (1975). The soil and water conservation problem in Africa: ecological differences and management problems. In Soil Conservation and Management in the Humid Tropics (ed. Greenland, D. J. and Lal, R.), pp. 143149. London: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Lamond, R. E., Murthy, L. S., Swallow, C. W. & Kelley, K. W. (1979). Comparative performance of N sources of smooth bromegrass and tall fescue. Soil Science Society of America Journal 43, 610612.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mishead, W. A., Melhuish, F. M. & White, R. J. G. (1985). Comparison of several N fertilizers applied in surface irrigation systems. 1. Crop response. Fertilizer Research 6, 97109.Google Scholar
Nelson, W. W. & MacGregor, J. M. (1973). Twelve years of continuous corn fertilization with NH4NO3 or urea nitrogen. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 37, 583586.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pleysier, J. L. & Juo, A. S. R. (1981). Leaching of fertilizer ions in an ultisol from the high rainfall tropics: leaching through undisturbed soil columns. Soil Science Society of America Journal 45, 754760.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Power, J. F., Alessi, J., Reichman, G. A. & Grunes, D. L. (1972). Effect of nitrogen source on corn and bromegrass production, soil pH, and inorganic soil nitrogen. Agronomy Journal 64, 341344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanchez, P. A. (1972). Nitrogen fertilization. In A Review of Soils Research in Tropical Latin America (ed. Sanchez, P. A.). North Carolina State University Technical Bulletin No. 219, pp. 90125.Google Scholar
Terman, G. L., Parr, J. F. & Allen, S. E. (1968). Recovery of nitrogen by corn from solid fertilizers and solutions. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 16, 685690.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thurman, L., Grove, K., Dale, R. & George, C. N. Jr (1980). Nitrogen fertilization of maize on an oxisol of the cerrado of Brazil. Agronomy Journal 72, 261265.Google Scholar
Touchton, J. T. & Hargrove, W. L. (1982). Nitrogen sources and methods of application for no-tillage corn production. Agronomy Journal 74, 823826.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walker, M. E., Keiseling, T. C., Merchant, W. H. & Morey, D. D. (1979). Urea - ammonium sulfate and urea - ammonium phosphate evaluation as nitrogen sources in the southeast United States. Soil Science Society of America Journal 43, 606610.CrossRefGoogle Scholar