Comparative Study of Maize Agronomics Performance Under Low Nitrogen Soil Availability, in Southern Savanna of Dr Congo

Abstract

To determine the growing and yield performance of low nitrogen tolerant maize varieties under fertilized and unfertilized conditions, a study was conducted at the Mvuazi Research Center. Nine varieties were tested with and without fertilizer using the micro-dosing method, following the randomized complete block design with two factors. The results showed a difference among varieties in both crop conditions. The average yield with fertilizer was higher than the yield without fertilizer. The varieties LNTP-W C4 and LNTP-Y C7 registered 5.9 t/ha and 3.6 t/ha respectively under fertilized crop conditions and 7.14t/ha and 7.12t/ha under unfertilized crop conditions. Thus, using Low-N can minimize production costs by improving the productivity of soils low in Nitrogen typical of conditions of the southwestern savanna.