Irrigation of maize (Zea mays L.) in relation to fertilization in a long-term field experiment

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to examine the correlation between factors of great significance for crop production, especially between irrigation and fertilization, and to evaluate the effects of irrigation and fertilization on maize yields over four growing seasons (2001-2004) in a long-term field experiment set up at the Látókép Experimental Station of the Centre for Agricultural Sciences of Debrecen University. The results showed that irrigation and fertilization were strongly correlated with the yield. The effect of irrigation depended on the natural water and nutrient supplies of the soil, and on the specific fertilizer rates. The results indicated that both fertilization and irrigation had a significant effect on the yield. The correlation between the year and the crop production factors was also significant. The yield-increasing effect of irrigation and fertilization differed significantly in the experimental years.