Agronomic Assessment of a Controlled-Release Polymer-Coated Urea-Based Fertilizer in Maize
Ricardo Gil-Ortiz,
Miguel Ángel Naranjo,
Antonio Ruiz-Navarro,
Marcos Caballero-Molada,
Sergio Atares,
Carlos García,
Oscar Vicente
Affiliations
Ricardo Gil-Ortiz
Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (UPV-CSIC), Universitat Politècnica de València, The Spanish National Research Council, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Miguel Ángel Naranjo
Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (UPV-CSIC), Universitat Politècnica de València, The Spanish National Research Council, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Antonio Ruiz-Navarro
Centre for Soil and Applied Biology Science of Segura, The Spanish National Research Council, (CEBAS-CSIC), Espinardo University Campus, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Marcos Caballero-Molada
Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (UPV-CSIC), Universitat Politècnica de València, The Spanish National Research Council, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Sergio Atares
Fertinagro Biotech S.L., Polígono de la Paz, C/Berlín s/n, 44195 Teruel, Spain
Carlos García
Centre for Soil and Applied Biology Science of Segura, The Spanish National Research Council, (CEBAS-CSIC), Espinardo University Campus, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Oscar Vicente
Institute for the Conservation and Improvement of Valencian Agrodiversity (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Increasing nutrient use efficiency of fertilizers is one of the major challenges to improve crop yields and minimize environmental impacts. This work compared the efficacy of a new ecological polymer-coated urea fertilizer and a slow release urea-based traditional fertilizer. Reductions in the N doses of the polymer-coated fertilizer were tested. A comparative study was first carried out by measuring the different physiological and yield parameters at the micro-scale level, and later-on field experiments were performed. Grain yield in the field was significantly higher (20%) when applying the new controlled-release fertilizer than when using the traditional one at the same dose. A 20% reduction in N content in the new fertilizer gave similar physiological and yield responses compared to the traditional fertilizer. We conclude that this new fertilizer can be used in extensive cropping of maize, guaranteeing at least the same yields than traditional fertilizers, with a reduction on the impact on soil properties and nitrogen losses.
