Point placement of late vegetative stage nitrogen splits increase the productivity, N-use efficiency and profitability of tropical maize under decade long conservation agriculture

The rising economic and environmental costs of mineral fertilizers associated with lower nutrient use efficiency, and the need to respond the limitations of N fertilization under residue retained condition of conservation agriculture (CA) motivate the research for alternative N placement methods. The third principle of CA, i.e., residue retention on the soil surface hinders the right placement of split applied nitrogen (N). To address this issue, authors assessed the impact of three N placement methods.Therefore, the present study visualizes the impact of a decade-long CA and efficient N management on crop growth behavior, N uptake and remobilization and crop productivity and water use efficiency. This study provides evidence to popularize this technology in the CA-systems of Indo-Gangetic Plains and other similar agro-ecologies.