YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) AS INFLUENCED BY VARIETIES AND NITROGEN LEVELS IN NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA ECOLOGICAL ZONE OF NIGERIA.

Abstract

Experiments were conducted at the Taraba State College of Agriculture Experimental Farm, Jalingo (latitude 6° 30' and 9° 36' N; longitude 9° 10' and 11° 50'E), Nigeria during the 2004 and 2005 cropping seasons whereby two varieties of maize {New Kaduna (W) and Obatanpa (QPMW)} as main plots, and seven nitrogen fertilizer levels (30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 kg N ha⁻¹) as sub plots in a split plot arrangement replicated three times. Soil and Yield parameters measured include soil pH, soil total nitrogen, available phosphorous, exchangeable cations, organic matter,100 grains weight, grains yield, percentage protein and percentage fat. The results indicated that Obatanpa (QPMW) significantly exhibited better yield parameters of 100 grains weight, grains yield, and percentage crude protein than New Kaduna (W), Furthermore, nitrogen levels of 70, 80 and 90 kg N ha⁻¹ consistently produced the highest mean values of 100 grains weight, grains yield, and percentage crude protein.