First application
First application prior to cultivation or at sowing:
Grain maize needs nutrients at the beginning of growth. Therefore, pre-sowing fertilization incorporated into the soil is ideal. A third to half of the required nitrogen can be applied using a suitable NPK compound fertilizer.
N fertilization dependins on the subsequent delivery from the soil, is based on extraction, which corresponds to approximately 160-180kg N/ha.
It is important to use water-soluble main nutrients. From the six leaf stage onwards, a high daily mass formation begins, which is associated with high nutrient absorption rates of several kg/ha and day.
Second application
Nitrogen fertilization between four and ten leaves growth stage:
At high yield expectations, and therefore higher N-level requirements, as well as on light soils, to protect against leaching losses, N-fertilization is split into two applications. One half to two thirds of the total amount of nitrogen should be added as a fast acting nitric nitrogen application between four to ten leaves growth stage, ideally between the six to eight leaf stages. Later fertilization brings no yield advantage, but carries the risk of leaf burning and delayed ripening.