Response of maize (Zea mays L.) to different nitrogen doses under the mild tropical plain agroclimatic zone of North-East India

Formulating optimum quantity of nitrogen fertilization is highly necessary to attain higher yields in maize. As per soil fertility, the right dosage has to be formulated for each region with consciousness on the soil and environmental health. A field experiment was conducted during 2018–19 under mild tropical plain agroclimatic conditions of Arunachal Pradesh, India to investigate the effect of different nitrogen doses on growth and yield of maize. The experiment was laid out under randomized block design with five replicated plots for each treatment. The nitrogen through urea was supplied with different doses of 0, 100, 120, 150 and 180 kg/ha. The crop was evaluated for plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, number of kernels per cob, number of rows per cob, and total grain yield. The results revealed that the variables such as plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, number of kernels per cob, number of rows per cob and total grain yield were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the different levels of nitrogen doses. Number of leaves, leaf length and crop yield were highest in 180 kg/ha (nitrogen dose), while lowest in control which significantly increased with higher nitrogen doses. This result showed that nitrogen with higher doses was more effective than low doses for maize crop. Nitrogen fertilization at 180 kg/ha exerted a significantly higher and positive effect on maize growth and can be recommended for the region.