Top-Dressing Nitrogen Doses in Maize Sown in Single and Double Rows and Cultivated in Winter

Abstract

Due to the intensification of production in irrigated areas, maize hasbeen sown in winter, enabling three seasons in one agricultural year. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agronomic performance of maize under irrigation and cultivated in winter under different plant arrangements (single and doublerow) under top-dressing nitrogen doses. The experimental design used was in randomized blocks in a split-plot scheme, with four replicates. Plots were formed by sowing systems single and double rows and subplots were formed by four top-dressing N doses: 0 kg ha-1 of N; 80 kg ha-1 of N with single application in phenological stage V3; 160 kg ha-1 of N with application of 80 kg ha-1 in V3 and V6, and 240 kg ha-1 of N with application of 80 kg ha-1 in stages V3, V6 and V8. The single-row sowing system led to higher grain yield compared to maize grown in the double-row system. Maize grain yield showed progressive linear increments with increasing top-dressing N doses, reaching 11,089 kg ha-1 of grains with the maximum studied dose of 240 kg ha-1 of N. Sowing systems in single and double rows do not differ with respect to the use of top-dressing N.