Nitrogen use efficiency and yield of maize crop as affected by agrotain coated urea in arid calcareous soils

It is reported that about 50% of nitrogen applied to soil as urea is lost through volatilization and leaching. A study was, therefore, conducted to assess the impact of two rates of urea fertilizer coated with 2 L and 3 L Agrotain ton^-1 , applied in 2 and 3 splits, on growth and yield and nitrogen use efficiency of maize crop at farm area of the Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan. The experiment was laid out in RCBD with nine treatments of 3x5 m^2 plots with four replicates. The fertilizer treatments were applied at sowing, after 25 and 55 days of sowing, respectively. Data showed that maximum grain yield (3.56 t ha^-1) was obtained in those plots fertilized with 115 kg N ha^-1 as urea, coated with 3L ton^-1 Agrotain applied in two splits as compared to other treatments. Minimum grains yield (3.17 t ha^-1) were obtained where no nitrogen was applied. Other yield parameters also showed significant increase in the plots where Agrotain treated urea was applied. It was concluded that Agrotain coating of urea delayed the urea hydrolysis and made the maximum N availability to plants and increased yield of maize crop.