GROWTH PARAMETERS OF MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) AS INFLUENCED BY VARIETIES AND NITROGEN LEVELS IN JALINGO NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA OF NIGERIA.

Abstract

Field 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 consisting two varieties of maize {New Kaduna (W) and Obatanpa (QPMW)} were allocated to the main plots, and seven nitrogen fertilizer levels (30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 kg N ha⁻¹) as sub plots laid out in a split plot arrangement replicated three times. Parameters measured include crop stand count, plant height, number of leaves per plant, stem diameter, leaf area index, ear diameter, ear length, number of rows per ear and number of grains per ear. The results indicated that Obatanpa (QPMW) significantly exhibited better growth parameters of plant height, stem diameter, ear diameter, number of rows per ear and number of grains per ear than New Kaduna (W). Furthermore, nitrogen levels of 70, 80 and 90 kg N ha⁻¹ consistently produced the highest mean values of plant height, number of leaves per plant, stem diameter, leaf area index, ear diameter, ear length, number of rows per ear and number of grains per ear.