Evaluation of In-Season Nitrogen Management for Summer Maize in North Central China

We conducted field experiments in which nitrogen (N) was applied to summer maize at different rates and different basal/topdressing ratios. The experiments were carried out in 2009 in Hengshui and Xinji, Hebei province, China. The results showed that basal application of N was necessary for maize growth in early summer and for high grain yields. For the Hengshui and Xinji sites, 30 and 57 kg N ha−1, respectively, would meet the N demands of maize before 7-leaf stage. The total rates of 120 and 180 kg N ha−1, respectively, would maximize grain yields, and in-season N management based on crop N demands and soil N supply could reduce N inputs by more than 50% in Hengshui and 25% in Xinji, respectively, in one maize growth season, compared with farmers' practice, but the sustainability of the optimum N rates for maximum grain yield of next seasons crop needs to be further studied. Optimum N management should take into account the existing nutrient conditions at each site, soil fertility and texture, and crop demands.