Conditions, forms of application and doses of polymer-coated urea in maize crop

Abstract

Urea is one of the nitrogen fertilizers most used in agriculture and also the one most subjected to N losses. This study aimed to compare the polymer-coated urea and common urea, as well as characterize the conditions and forms of application that are more advantageous in maize crop. Two field experiments were carried out under conventional tillage and rainfed. Microscopic evaluations of urea granules were also conducted. In the first experiment, common and polymer-coated urea were applied in line or at throwing, totally at post-seeding or split. In the second experiment, the effect of the two N sources was evaluated in a single post-seeding throwing application. The agronomic traits and leaf N content were evaluated. The coated urea induced a higher yield than the common urea, when applied to the soil surface during the dry season, at doses above 170 kg ha^-1. The polymer-coated urea and the common urea showed a similar performance, when applied to the soil surface during the rainy season, with enough rainfall to induce the immediate solubilization and incorporation of both fertilizers to the inner soil layers. The application form (in line or at throwing, in the total area) did not affect yield. The split fertilization increased grain yield, regardless of urea type, when applications occurred at significant and frequent rainfall periods.