Abstract
Efficient nitrogen (N) management in maize ( Zea mays L.) is critical to achieving high yields. However, N overapplication remains widespread, driven by concerns over potential yield losses. Understanding tolerance of maize to early-season N deficiencies is essential for developing effective in-season strategies. This study evaluated different in-season N fertilization strategies and their effects on crop growth rate (CGR), leaf area index (LAI), and plant N status (via chlorophyll meter) throughout the season. The study also assessed the impact on yield and yield components to determine recovery ability from temporary N deficiencies. Two field trials were conducted in Kansas, United States, during 2023 and 2024 under irrigated conditions. Treatments comprised N rates ranging from 0 to 180 kg ha −1 applied at planting or split between planting (90 kg N ha −1 ) and V6, V10, or V14 (30–90 kg N ha −1 ). Nitrogen deficiencies during vegetative growth reduced CGR and kernel number, but plant N status recovered even with N applied as late as V14. Kernel weight was positively associated with CGR during grain filling, highlighting the importance of crop N status to maximize kernel development and yield. The NSI was more responsive than LAI to N fertilization timing. Results showed that maize can tolerate early-season N deficiencies without yield penalties if plant N status is corrected timely, under the tested yield levels. These findings underscore the importance of implementing timely in-season N strategies to mitigate N stress and promote balanced productivity and sustainability.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by-nc-nd. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Vegetative nitrogen deficiency reduced maize crop growth rate.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nitrogen deficiencies during vegetative growth reduced CGR and kernel number”
e1“maize ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Vegetative nitrogen deficiency reduced maize kernel number.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nitrogen deficiencies during vegetative growth reduced CGR and kernel number”
e1“maize ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant nitrogen status recovered even when nitrogen was applied as late as V14.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plant N status recovered even with N applied as late as V14”
e1“maize ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize kernel weight was positively associated with crop growth rate during grain filling.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Kernel weight was positively associated with CGR during grain filling”
e1“maize ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
The nitrogen sufficiency index was more responsive than leaf area index to fertilization timing.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The NSI was more responsive than LAI to N fertilization timing”
e1“maize ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Early nitrogen deficiency produced no maize yield penalty when nitrogen status was corrected in time under tested yield levels.
- Treatment
- early-season N deficienciese0
- Outcome
- yield penaltiese0
- Direction
- withoute0
- Qualifier
- if plant N status is corrected timely, under the tested yield levelse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize can tolerate early-season N deficiencies without yield penalties if plant N status is corrected timely, under the tested yield levels”
The same questions in other papers
nitrogen · growth · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
618 papers in the same direction as this paper · 115 in the opposite direction · 14 reporting no difference from an alternative
This paper is about lacking the nutrient, so it counts the other way round here.
- no effect
- negative
- positive
744 papers more in this group
See all 748 papers →nitrogen · yield · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
1,905 papers in the same direction as this paper · 234 in the opposite direction · 45 reporting no difference from an alternative
This paper is about lacking the nutrient, so it counts the other way round here.
- negative
- positive
- positive
2,181 papers more in this group
See all 2,185 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.