SOME MODELS OF PREDICTED EQUATIONS OF MAIZE RESPONSE YIELD TO FERTILIZER APPLICATIONS

Two field trials were conducted at Giza Research Station, with split plot design with three replicates during the two successive summer seasons in 2012 and 2013. The aim of this study was to find out the effect of cotingen for covering seed by four treatments (zero, 7.5, 15 and 22.5 g kg-1 grain) and six nitrogen fertilizer levels (control, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg fed.-1) on maize yield and yield attributes of single cross 10 cultivar. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the importance of yield components and to predict the yield under different levels of nitrogen and cotingen rates. Nitrogen levels exhibited significant effect for all studied traits, while cotingen were significant for100-kernels weight; shelling% and grain yield traits only. The interaction between cotingen and Nitrogen was significant for row per ear, shelling% and grain yield. Meanwhile, stepwise linear regression analysis showed that 100-kernels weight, number of kernels per row and shelling% were the most important contributing traits to yield (R2 = 82.11%). The nitrogen rates for maximum yield derived from the four statistical models (linear, logarithmic, quadratic, and exponential) describing the response of yield, using the R2statistic to select a model, which shows how each of the models fits the data. The quadratic model best described the yield responses observed in this study. Further confirms the role of nitrogen and cotingen fertilizers in increasing yield production in maize. The 5th N rate under 3rdcotingen (120 Kg fed-1 + 22.5 and 15g kg-1 grain) produced the highest yield being 34.70 and 34.65 ard. fed-1 over all treatments. This is very close to recommendations. The 4th N (90Kg fed-1) rate under any cotingen level produced higher yield than any nitrogen rate only. Economically, considering optimum N fertilization rate, 105.18 Kg fed-1 nitrogen and 22.5 g kg-1 grain cotingen was the most reasonable level. This is considerably below the current recommendation. Therefore, results confirmed that higher cotingen treatment decreased the optimal nitrogen and increased the yield.