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Growth and Root Morphology of Corn as Influenced by Nitrogen Form

Agricultural Research Dep., National Fertilizer and Environmental Research Center, TVA, Muscle Shoals, AL. 35660.
Pfister Hybrids, P.O. Box 186, El Paso, IL 61704.

^* Corresponding author.

Public concern about NO^-₃ levels in potable waters, together with improving techniques for maintaining NH₄⁺ availability in soils, has renewed research interest in the effects of N form on crop growth. The effects of NO^-₃ versus NH⁺₄ on growth and morphology of juvenile corn (Zea mays L.) were investigated in two experiments. In Exp. 1, 16-d-old, solution-grown plants produced less shoot fresh weight when grown with NH⁺₄ than with NO^-₃ nutrition. Root fresh weights were similar, but elongation of the primary root axis and its longest first order lateral was less with NH⁺₄ nutrition. Under NH⁺₄ nutrition, apparent thickness (grams per meter) of primary roots was 54% greater, and the frequency of first order laterals with second order laterals was 65% greater, than under NO^-₃ nutrition. In Exp. 2, plants were grown in the greenhouse until 40 d after emergence in a slightly alkaline 3:1 sand:soil mix. Nitrogen (75 mg N kg^–1) was supplied as either Ca(NO₃)₂ or (NH₄)₂SO₄ plus nitrapyrin [2-chloro-6-(trichloromethyl) pyridine]. Ammonium-grown plants produced 2.3 times the dry matter and had higher concentrations of N in both stems (18.5%) and leaves (27.5%) compared to NO^-₃- grown plants. Tillering was increased by NH⁺₄- 4 nutrition. Apparent root thickness was again greater under NH⁺₄ nutrition, but the difference between N regimes was only 15%. Results indicate that under conditions of course-textured soils and slightly alkaline pH an enhanced NH⁺₄- N regime may be advantageous for growth of corn. Differences in pH regimes between the hydroponic and soil-based experiments may account for the contrasting results

Received for publication January 11, 1991.

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