Impact of soil and foliar fertilization on yield and net income of maize plants alluvial clay soil.

The study was aimed to investigate the effect of methods and levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium application on maize growth, yield components, yields, nutrient uptake as well as net income. Two field experiments were carried out in the at Agricultural Farm of Sids Agricultural Research Station, ARC, Beni – Swif Governorate, Egypt during the two successive seasons of 2013 and 2014.
The nitrogen treatments were 120 kg N/fed as soil application (N₁), 90 kg N/fed as soil application + two time foliar spraying of 2% urea solution  (N₂) and 60 kg N/fed as soil application + two time foliar spraying of 2% urea solution  (N₃). The phosphorus treatments  were 13.6 kg P/fed as soil application (P₁) , 6.8 kg P/fed as soil application + two time foliar spraying of 0.33%  (P₂), and two time foliar spraying of 0.33% P (P₃). The potassium treatments were 39.8 kg K/ fed as soil application (K₁) , 19.9 kg K/fed as soil application + two time foliar spraying of 2% potassium sulphate solution  (K₂) , and two time  foliar spraying of 2% potassium sulphate solution (K₃). A factorial experiment design included 27 treatments with four replications was performed. The results reveal that maize plant height, dry weight/plant, number of rows / ear , number of grains/ row , 100 – grain weight , grain , stover and biological yields as well as nutrient uptake  and net income were significantly responded to methods and levels of N,P and K application. On the other hand combined soil application with foliar spraying (90 kg N/ fed with foliar spraying of 2% urea solution, 6.8 kg P/fed with foliar spraying of o.33% P or 19.9 kg K/fed with foliar spraying of 2% potassium sulphate solution) gave higher values , of growth parameter  except plant height with 120 kg N/fed which recorded the tallest maize plant . In general, the recommended treatment for quality and quantity as well as the net income of maize was 90 kg N/ fed as soil application in combination with foliar spraying of 2% urea solution + 6.8 kg P/fed as soil application in combination with foliar spraying of 0.33% P + 19.9 kg K/fed as soil application in combination with foliar spraying of 2% potassium sulphate solution.