NITROGEN LEVELS AND ITS TIME OF APPLICATION INFLUENCE LEAF AREA, HEIGHT AND BIOMASS OF MAIZE PLANTED AT LOW AND HIGH DENSITY

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted at the New Developmental Research Farm of NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar during 2002-03 and 2003-04 to investigate the impacts of nitrogen (N) rate and its time of application on leaf area, plant height and biomass yield of maize (Zea mays L., cv. Azam) planted at low and high density. Factorial experimental treatments comprising two plant densities (P1 = 60,000 and P2 = 100,000 plants ha-1) and three nitrogen rates (N1 = 60, N2 = 120 and N3 = 180 kg N ha-1) were kept in main plots, while six split application for N in different proportions were kept in subplots at different growth stages of maize in two equal (S1), three equal (S2), three unequal (S3), four equal (S4), five equal (S5) and five unequal splits (S6) at sowing and with 1st