THE EFFECT OF PLANT DENSITY AND NITROGEN FERTILIZER ON MAIZE SILAGE

Abstract

This investigation carried out in the Agricultural Research Station at Sakha, Kafer El-shekh Governorate during the two seasons of 2004 and 2005. This study aimed to study the following objectives:

1- To select the best maize hybrid and compare that with forage sweet sorghum for forage and silage yields either for quantity or quality production.

• 2- To study the effects of varieties, plant densities and nitrogen levels in maize and seeding rates and nitrogen fertilization levels in sorghum on fresh forage and silage yields production . 3- To evaluate maize stover and whole plant sorghum with different additive in order to obtain good silage quality.

The study included two whole experiments the first one included two sub experiments , the first sub experiment was to test the effects of maize varieties, plant densities and nitrogen levels on forage • and silage of maize .This sub experiment included three maize genotypes, i.e., S.C.IO (white), S.C.155 (yellow) and T.W.C3-21 (white) and those tested under three plant densities (25000, 30000 and 35000 plant /fed and under three nitrogen levels .i.e., 90, 120, and 150

Kg N/fed Meanwhile, the second sub experiment, included only one variety of sorghum MN.4418 tested under three seeding rates. , i.e., I 0, 15, and 20KgN/fed and under three nitrogen levels, i.e.,90; 120 and 150KgN/fed., These sub experiment were provided in 2004and 2005 seasons.