Urea rate and placement for maize production on a calcareous Vertisol

A study of urea N rate and placement for irrigated maize (Zea mays L) grown in Somalia was conducted to investigate this most promising and rather easily adopted cultural practice, in order to sharply increase present low yields. This work was done at the Afgoi station of the Agricultural Research Institute on a calcareous Vertisol. Six different levels of N (0, 20, 40, 80, 160 and 320 kg N ha^?1) as urea were used as main-plot treatments with four different placements as subplot treatments. Three of the placements consisted of broadcast-incorporated, broadcast-not incorporated, and sidedress on or in dry soil while the fourth placement was broadcast on wet soil. The grain yield response to added N was very highly significant and the regression analysis predicted a maximum yield of 7.6 t ha^?1 from 210 kg N ha^?1. A consistent yield depression occurred at the 320 kg N ha^?1 rate in all placement treatments. Placement of urea on or in dry soil gave significantly higher yields than did placement on the wet soil. The data indicate that substantial N losses occurred on this soil when urea was broadcast on a wet surface. The economic analysis to determine the feasibility of applying N to maize grown under improved crop production practices showed that fertilization with N can be very profitable. At the existing price for urea and value of maize, the economic optimum occurred at 164 kg N ha^?1 which gave a 2.1 t ha^?1 grain yield increase. This increased yield from N fertilization produced a profit of 1010 Somali shillings (US $162) ha^?1.