Grain Quality, Nutrient use Efficiency, and Bioeconomics of Maize under Different Sowing Methods and NPK Levels

N itrogen use efficiency (NUE) for cereal production has been estimated near 33% worldwide Cereal pricing structure, fertilizer cost, and ground water contamination risk make N management a prime factor to consider. Understanding N fluxes, its uptake, and distribution in the plant is of prime importance with respect to both environmental concerns and product quality. Uptake and N utilization in crops are two major components of the N cycle. Efficiency may be measured in relation to the total available N (soil + fertilizer) or only to fertilizer. Because of the difficulty in measuring soil N and the economic importance of fertilizers, most studies deal with N fertilizer as in the present study.