Muhammad Nadeem Ashraf

2008-URTB-8285Roll No: 17

“Comparative Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Ordinary Urea versus Neem Oil Coated Urea”

INTRODUCTION Maize (Zea mays L) has an important position in

the existing cropping systems of Pakistan. Maize accounts for 4.8% of the total cropped area

and 3.5% of the value of agricultural output. The area under maize here is over one million

hectares and production 3.5 million metric tons. Maize is also an important crop of AJK with

about 0.122 million hectare of maize being planted during kharif.

Cont… Neem oil contains nitrification-inhibiting

properties, Nitrification inhibitors depress the activities of

Nitrosomonas thus less production of NO3

Neem (Azadirachta indica) based products restricts loss of chemical fertilizer and reduces cost of production due to less use of chemical fertilizers

OBJECTIVE To increase Nitrogen Use Efficiency(NUE) by

coating urea with Neem oil.

METHODOLOGY

Pot Study Design: Two factor factorial with 3

replications

1st Factor:1. Ordinary urea

2. Urea coating with 0.5% (w/w) neem oil

3. Urea coating with 1% (w/w) neem oil

Cont… 2nd Factor1. 0 mg N kg-1 soil

2. 90 mg N kg-1 soil

3. 120 mg N kg-1 soil

4. 150 mg N kg-1 soil

Basal Dose: 25 mg P kg-1, 35 mg K kg-1 and 10 mg

Zn kg-1 Duration: 40 days

Statistical Analysis: Statistical analysis was done by using Statistix 8.1. LSD at

0.05 level of probability for treatment differences

RESULTS

Physico-chemical characteristics of selected soil Soil characters Unit value

pH - 7.65

EC (1:1) (dS m-1) 0.47

O.M (%) 0.83

NO3-N (mg kg-1) 1.08

P (mg kg-1) 0.61

K (mg kg-1) 58

Sand (%) 38.8

Silt (%) 39.2

Clay (%) 22

Texture - Loam

RESULTSWhole shoot weight as affected with N Levels of ordinary urea and neem oil coated urea

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

0 90 120 150

Shoo

t wei

ght

(g p

lant

-1)

Nitrogen Applied (mg N kg-1 soil)

No coating0.5% Neem oil coating1% Neem oil coating

Nitrogen concentration

Nitrogen concentration in whole shoot of maize as affected with nitrogen levels of ordinary urea and neem oil coated urea.

N Levels

No coating 0.5% NOCU 1% NOCU N Levels Mean

Nitrogen concentration in whole shoot (%)

0 mg N kg-1 soil 1.643 1.689 2.2017 1.705 D

90 mg N kg-1 soil 2.013 2.1533 2.311 2.060 C

120 mg N kg-1 soil 2.201 2.0137 2.4397 2.317 B

150 mg N kg-1 soil 2.276 2.8063 2.721 2.601 A

Mean (Neem oil coating) 2.033 B 2.240 A 2.239 A  

LSD (N Levels) = 0.111LSD (Neem Oil) = 0.096LSD (Treatment X Neem Oil) = 0.191

Nitrogen uptake by whole shoot of maize

020406080

100120140160180

0 90 120 150

Nitr

ogen

Upt

ake

(%)

Nitrogen Applied (mg N Kg-1 soil)

No coating0.5% Neem oil coating1% Neem oil coating

NO3-N in soil after harvesting

N Levels

No coating

0.5% NOCU

1% NOCUN Levels

Mean

NO3-N in soil after harvesting (mg kg-1)

0 mg N kg-1 soil 2.853 3.422 18.285 8.186 A

90 mg N kg-1 soil 3.258 3.442 18.603 8.437 A

120 mg N kg-1 soil 3.263 4.296 24.222 10.594 A

150 mg N kg-1 soil 3.362 4.35 26.246 11.319 A

Mean (Neem oil coating) 3.183 B 3.881 B 21.839 A  

LSD (N Levels) = 5.91LSD (Neem Oil) = 6.83LSD (Treatment X Neem Oil) = 11.83

NH4-N in soil after harvesting

N LevelsNo coating 0.5% NOCU 1% NOCU N Levels

Mean

NH4-N in soil after harvesting (mg kg-1)

0 mg N kg-1 soil 39.465 24.542 8.651 24.220 D

90 mg N kg-1 soil 40.801 24.585 11.333 25.573 C

120 mg N kg-1 soil 47.923 33.887 17.831 33.067 B

150 mg N kg-1 soil 55.328 35.989 18.102 36.473 A

Mean (Neem oil coating) 45.882 A 29.751 B 13.867 C  

LSD (Treatment) = 0.823LSD (Neem Oil) = 0.713LSD (Treatment X Neem Oil) = 1.425