RESPONSE OF SOME MAIZE VARIETIES TO ORGANIC FERTILIZER AND MINERAL NANO FERTILIZER UNDER SALINE CONDITIONS AT SIWA OASIS

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted at the Experimental Station of Desert Research Center at Tegzerty, Siwa Oasis, Matroh Governorate during the two successive seasons, 2015 and 2016. These experiments were performed to study the effect of organic, mineral and nano nitrogen fertilizers and two maize hybrid varieties on growth and grain yield and its components. Each experiment was laid out in a splilt-split plot design with three replicates. Organic fertilizer were arranged in the main plots, maize varieties were allocated in the sub plots, while mineral nano N fertilizer treatments were assigned in the sub-sub plots. Each experimental unit area was 10.5m2 (3m x 3.5m) and contained four furrows (3.5 m in length and 60 cm apart). Each experiment included twenty treatments, which were the combination between two organic fertilizer levels(15 & 30 m3/fed.), two maize hybrid varieties(Single hybrid 131, Triple hybrid 329), and five treatments of the combination between mineral and nano fertilizers (100% mineral N from the recommended dose (120 kg N/fed., as ammonium sulphate),75% mineral + 25% nano N fertilizers,50% mineral + 50% nano N fertilizers, 25% mineral + 75% nano N fertilizers and100% nano N from the recommended rate).