Effect of Urea Fertilizer Dosage and Under-Cob Leaf Removal on Growth and Production of Three Maize Varieties

Abstract

The assimilation products produced by the leaves will be distributed to all parts of the plant that need it.  The presence of leaves can help smooth assimilation, but can also be a user of assimilate products. The removal of leaves under the cob is done to streamline the process of photosynthesis that occurs in old leaves that cause moisture, it is also intended to suppress the occurrence of internal competition in assimilation, while the need to be given the right fertilizer or nutrition for the growth and production of corn which is needed, namely Nitrogen in Urea Fertilizer. This study aims to analyze the growth and production of three varieties of corn with the application of different doses of urea fertilizer and leaf shredding under the cob. The research was conducted in the form of a multifactor experiment arranged based on a Split Split Plots Design (SSP) in a Randomized Group Design (RAK) pattern consisting of the Main Plots Factor (MP), namely Maize Variety Type consisting of Agricon, BISI-10,and C7 Varieties. Sub Plots (SP) are doses of urea fertilizer of 250 kg.ha-1 and 350 kg.ha-1 respectively, and Sub Sub Plots (SSP) are the method of leaf trimming under the cob consisting of No trimming. Composting at anthesis, and Composting 1 week after anthesis. The results of the analysis showed that the Bisi-10 variety gave a better response to the dose of urea fertilization at the vegetative growth stage of corn plants and the Agricon variety gave a better response to urea fertilization and pumping time at the generative growth stage, the dose of urea fertilizer 350 kg ha-1 gave a better response to the growth and development of corn plants and corn plant production and the time of pumping the leaves under the cob at the time of pollination was more effective in increasing the quality and quantity of corn plant production.