Combined application of prilled urea and nano-urea enhanced growth and productivity of rainfed maize (Zea mays)

A field experiment was carried out to assess the impact of different combinations of prilled urea and foliar application of nano-urea on the growth and productivity of rainfed maize in the Eastern plateau of Jharkhand. The Experiment was conducted at the Research Farm, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Gauria Karma, Jharkhand, during the kharif season of 2022–23. The design chosen for the experiment was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 10-treatment combinations of prilled urea and foliar spray nano-urea at consecutive growth stages of maize. The variety tested in the trial was ‘DHM 121’. The study’s findings indicate that applying prilled urea and nano-urea via foliar spray enhances crop performance in terms of both growth and productivity. Notably, the yield from plots treated with at least 75% RDN in the form of prilled urea either in spilt dose or as basal dose along with the foliar application of nano-urea (ranged from 5.08–5.30 t/ha) was at par with 100% RDN (5.80 t/ha). This implies that using foliar application of nano-urea or commercial prilled urea at knee high and tasseling critical growth stages of maize can offset the yield reduction by 8.5-12% associated with lower fertilizer levels.