EFFECT OF FOLIAR APPLIED, NEEM AND MICRONUTRIENT COATED UREA FERTILIZERS ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF MAIZE ON ALFISOLS IN SAMARU, NORTHERN NIGERIA

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of foliar, neem and micronutrient coated urea fertilizers on growth and yield parameters of maize on Alfisols at Samaru, Zaria, Northern Guinea Savannah Nigeria. The treatments consisted of eighteen (18) fertilizer treatments, (Boron (B) 100%DDP, CROPMIX (17%Zn, 18%Mn, 2%B, 1%fe, 1% Cu) 100%(DDP), Zinc (Zn) 100% (DDP), Zn + B 100% (DDP), MDS 2,0L/MT 100%), Foliar fertilizer (Candel) and Neem (at different formulation 0.5L/MT at 100% and 75% , 0.75 L/MT at 100% and 75%, 1.0L/MT at 75% and 1.25L/MT at 100% and 75%), Urea 120%, Control with (P and k), control with (120 60 60) and Control plots were applied to the crop in two split doses at three and five weeks after planting in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated four times in two different locations for 2022 cropping season. The growth parameters measured were plant height, number of leaves and leave area index, while the yield parameters observed in the study were weight of cobs, number of cobs, grain yield and 100 seed weight. The result showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in growth and yield performance of maize with neem and micronutrient coated urea fertilizers performing higher than other treatments. While higher yields were observed in neem coated urea fertilizer at 1.25 MT/90Kg N ha-1 (63.50), followed by boron coated urea at 100% DDP (59.25). This indicates that all neem coated fertilizer formulations applied performed higher than other treatments in improving growth and yield of maize.