Timing and methods of nitrogen application to no-tillage corn on cerrado soil

Nitrogen (N) is the mineral nutrient required in largest amounts and is the one that most influence corn yield. With the objective of evaluating the best timing and methods of N fertilizer application on corn in a no-tillage system in a cerrado soil, this experiment was carried out at the Vargem Grande farm in Montividiu County, state of Goias, Brazil, on a dystrophic Red Latosol (Rhodic distrophic Haplustox) during the 1996/97 crop season. The experimental area had been cultivated with annuals crops for 16 years under conventional tillage and then under no-tillage for the last five years. The last summer crop was soybean, followed by black oat during the fallow period. The treatments were distributed in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Treatments consisted of four N application timing (20 days before corn sowing, total dose at sowing, and 15 and 35 days after plant emergency (DAE)) using two application methods (broadcast and incorporated in-between rows) plus two additional treatments corresponding to the most common method used in the region for N application (16 kg ha(-1) N at sowing + 90 kg ha(-1) N broadcasted at 35 DAE) and the experimental farm standard system (24 kg ha(-1) N in the sowing furrow + 102 kg ha-1 N incorporated in-between rows). Timing and method off application influenced the corn yield. Best results were obtained with incorporation of the fertilizer either at sowing or 15 DAE. The regionally most-used nitrogen fertilizer management system (16 kg ha(-1) N at sowing + 90 kg ha(-1) broadcasted at 35 DAE) led to the lowest corn grain yield. Nitrogen application 20 days before corn sowing proved not to be recomendable for the edaphic and climatic conditions of the study region.