© The Authors, 2026, Published by the Universidad del Zulia*Corresponding author: lzambrano@uagraria.edu.ec
Keywords:
Corn
Chemical element
Yield
Technical note
Eect of nitrogen fertilization on corn cultivation in La Carlota, Balzar canton, Ecuador
Efecto de la fertilización nitrogenada en el cultivo de maíz, La Carlota, cantón Balzar, Ecuador
Efeito nitrogen fertilization em milho em La Carlota, cantão de Balzar, Equador
Klever Fernando Cevallos Cevallos
Leontes Leônidas Zambrano Barcos
*
Dioselina Clemencia Navarrete Chevez
Juana Estefanía Cisneros Fariño
Marcos Paul Chila Zambrano
José Antonio Burgos Cevallos
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(1): e264312
ISSN 2477-9407
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47280/RevFacAgron(LUZ).v43.n1.XII
Crop production
Associate editor: Dr. Jorge Vilchez-Perozo
University of Zulia, Faculty of Agronomy
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
La Universidad Agraria del Ecuador Av. 25 de Julio y Pío
Jaramillo, Guayaquil, Ecuador
Received: 13-10-2025
Accepted: 10-01-2026
Published: 30-01-2026
Abstract
Corn (Zea mays L.) is produced in various countries,
constituting a source of income for many families; for Ecuador, it
represents an item with social and economic benets. The objective
of this research was to evaluate nitrogen fertilization in corn
cultivation in La Carlota, Balzar canton, Ecuador. A randomized
block experimental design was used with four treatments nitrogen
fertilization (200, 300, 400 kg.ha
-1
) and control, (no application) and
ve replications. The variables evaluated were stem diameter, plant
height, ear diameter, ear length, ear weight and yield per hectare. The
results reected that signicant dierences were observed (p<0.05)
of 200 kg.ha
-1
with respect to the other treatments. Therefore, it is
important not to apply lower amounts or exceed the amount of N
required per plant in each corn production unit.
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(1): e264312 January-March ISSN 2477-9409.
2-4 |
Resumen
El maíz (Zea mays L.) se produce en diversos países,
constituyendo una fuente de ingresos para muchas familias; para
Ecuador representa un rubro con benecios sociales y económicos. El
objetivo de la investigación fue evaluar la fertilización con nitrógeno
en el cultivo de maíz en La Carlota, cantón Balzar, Ecuador. Se utilizó
un diseño experimental en bloques al azar con cuatro tratamientos
de fertilización con nitrógeno (200, 300, 400 kg.ha
-1
)
y testigo, (sin
aplicación) y 5 repeticiones. Se evaluaron las variables diámetro del
tallo, altura de la planta, diámetro, longitud y peso de la mazorca
y rendimiento por hectárea. Se encontró diferencias signicativas
(p<0.05) para 200 kg.ha
-1
con respecto a los otros tratamientos; por
lo que es importante no aplicar cantidades inferiores, ni excederse de
la cantidad de N a aplicar por planta de maíz.
Palabras clave: maíz, elemento químico, rendimiento.
Resumo
O milho (Zea mays L.) é produzido em vários países, constituindo
uma fonte de renda para muitas famílias; para o Equador, representa
um item com benefícios sociais e econômicos. O objetivo desta
pesquisa foi avaliar a fertilização nitrogenada no cultivo de milho em
La Carlota, cantão Balzar, Equador. Foi utilizado um delineamento
experimental em blocos casualizados com quatro tratamentos do
fertilização nitrogenada (200, 300, 400 kg.ha
-1
) e controle, (sem
aplicação) e 5 repetições. As variáveis avaliadas foram diâmetro do
caule, altura da planta, diâmetro da espiga, comprimento da espiga,
peso da espiga e rendimento por hectare. Os resultados reetiram que
foram observadas diferenças signicativas (p < 0,05) de 200 kg.ha
-1
em relação aos outros tratamentos. Portanto, é importante não aplicar
quantidades menores ou exceder a quantidade de N necessária por
planta em cada unidade de produção de milho.
Palavras-chave: milho, elemento químico, produtividade.
Introduction
Corn (Zea mays L.) is produced in various countries and is a
source of income for many of them. For Ecuador, it represents a
commodity with social and economic benets, according to the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAOSTAT]
(2022). Corn in Ecuador is grown at dierent altitudes and under
dierent soil and weather conditions (Antúnez, 2023). According to
Hasang et al. (2021), corn has been growing in Ecuador’s agricultural
sectors, with consumption for the feed industry and as grain.
In another context, nitrogen (N) is the element most in demand
by corn plants, with reports indicating that N absorption in this crop
increases from 30 days after sowing to 100 days, with absorption
between 140 kg.ha
-1
N to 180 kg.ha
-1
of N (Davies et al., 2020).
Likewise, Caviedes (2022) indicated that, in much of Ecuador, one
of the main limitations of corn cultivation is its low yield, making
it necessary to review fertilization programs among several factors.
Sraa (2024) indicated that the law of diminishing returns explains
that by increasing the use of fertilizer (in this case), while keeping
other factors xed, the increase in total production becomes smaller
and may even decrease.
In this regard, it is necessary to determine the appropriate dose of
N to achieve acceptable yields in corn production units. Therefore,
the objective of the research was to evaluate N fertilization in corn
cultivation in La Carlota, Balzar canton, Ecuador.
Materials and methods
The research was conducted at the El Maizal production unit,
La Carlota campus, Balzar canton, Guayas province, geographical
coordinates 1°09’32”S and 79°46’25”W; with rainfall of 1,500
mm per year, altitude of 65 m above sea level, and average annual
temperature of 26.5 °C (INAMHI, 2022).
Experimental design
The research was applied in nature. The experimental design used
was randomized blocks; four treatments and ve replicates with a
replicated Latin square design (Table 1).
Table 1. Treatments evaluated in La Carlota, Ecuador.
Treatments Nitrogen dose (kg.ha
-1
)
T1 100
T2 200
T3 300
T4 No application (control)
Urea fertilizer was used as the source of N (46 % of N), divided
into three applications at 30, 45, and 60 days after sowing, placing the
fertilizer next to each plant.
Experimental unit
Emblema 777 hybrid corn seed, marketed by INTEROC
(Guayaquil, Ecuador), was sown.
Experiment management
The respective soil samples were taken and then sent to the
Pichilingue Tropical Experimental Station, with the following results:
loamy texture; pH: 5.2; organic matter: 4.2 (medium); N: 19.8 ppm
(low); P: 20 ppm (low), and K: 0.74 meq.100 g
-1
(high). An area of
0.25 ha was planted, placing one corn seed per point, 0.2 m between
plants, and 0.8 m between rows. Distribution in the eld was random
within each block and repetition, with an area of 3 x 3 m for a surface
area of 9 m
2
, for a total of 20 plots. A gravity irrigation system with
furrows was used, with an estimated irrigation rate of 1 mm of water
per plant, every other day.
Weekly manual weed control was carried out on the streets,
rows, and around each plant to reduce competition for water, light,
nutrients, space, among other things. Inspections were carried out to
identify insects and diseases; the presence of Spodoptera frugiperda
was observed and controlled with 1 % Bacillus thuringiensis. The
corn cobs were harvested 120 days after planting. The harvest index
used was the darkening of the stigmas of the female owers (cobs),
dryness to the touch, and easy detachment of the cob (Antúnez et al.,
2023).
Variables evaluated
Stem diameter
A measuring tape (rubber) was used to measure the stem at
a height of 30 cm from the ground, 110 days after sowing. It was
expressed in cm.
Plant height
Measuring up to the point of cob insertion 110 days after sowing.
The value was expressed in cm.
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Cevallos et al. Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(1): e264312
3-4 |
length (Table 2). The application of 200 kg N.ha
-1
resulted in an scorn
cob diameter of 4.4 cm, which coincides with the 4.7 cm reported by
Mestanza et al. (2025). Raasch et al. (2016) point out that corn cob
diameter is aected by dierent doses of N.
The corn cob length for T2 was 18 cm, coinciding with the research
by Mestanza et al. (2025), who reported 17.28 cm for this variable.
Morales et al. (2022) obtained values of 11.9 cm. In contrast, Antúnez
et al. (2023) indicate in their research that increasing the N dose did
not result in signicant increases on corn cob length.
The corn cob length of a corn plant could be associated with
the application of N during the corn crop cycle, coupled with the
fact that N is the main nutrient required by corn plants, limiting
plant development, stem length, and diameter, and participating in
processes such as photosynthesis and water absorption.
Corn cob weight
There were signicant dierences (p<0.05) between T2 and the
other treatments, with T4 (control) having the lowest stem weight
(Table 3).
Table 3. Corn cob weight and yield per hectare in La Carlota,
Ecuador.
Treatments
N dose (kg.ha
-1
) Corn cob weight (g) Yield (kg.ha
-1
)
100 (T1) 360b 2.861b
200 (T2) 420a 4.620a
400 (T3)
370b 3.180b
0 (T4, control)
220c 1.320c
Dierent letters in the variables dier statistically for the Tukey test (p<0.05).
A decrease in corn cob weight was observed when the N dose
was increased. T2 (200 kg N.ha
-1
) showed a signicant dierence
compared to the other treatments; this corroborates the existence
of a positive eect when applying N, and a negative eect without
its application on corn cob weight. Cervantes et al. (2018) found no
dierences in the development of corn plants when fertilizing with 60
to 350 kg.ha
-1
of N.
There was an eect of nitrogen fertilization on corn cultivation;
this result seems to indicate that excess N negatively aects corn
plants; the application of N in increasing doses led to a decrease in
yield, which could be due to a nutritional imbalance caused by the
application of N with respect to other elements in corn cultivation.
Possibly, the excessive application of N led to the law of diminishing
returns, since as the N dose increased, the weight of the cob decreased.
Yield per hectare
Signicant dierences (p<0.05) were observed between T2 (200
kg N.ha
-1
) and the other treatments, with T4 (control) showing the
lowest yield per hectare (Table 3). For 200 kg N.ha
-1
, a yield of 2,861
kg.ha
-1
was observed, which is higher than that reported by Lugo et al.
(2022), who evaluated increasing doses of nitrogen in corn cultivation
and reported values of 2,157 kg.ha
-1
of corn with a dose of 105 kg.ha
-1
of N.
In this sense, the existence of a negative eect of N application
treatments on corn plant yield is corroborated, possibly explained by
the induction of a nutritional imbalance. Therefore, the application of
adequate amounts of N is necessary to obtain an adequate nutritional
balance.
Because N is essential for the formation of proteins, chlorophyll,
and enzymes, which are key to photosynthesis, improving the
Diameter of the cob
The measurement was taken with the same measuring tape, at the
middle third of the cob. The value was expressed in cm.
Length of the cob
This was measured at harvest time using a rubber tape measure.
The value was expressed in cm.
Weight of the cob
The cobs were weighed on an electronic scale (KERN, model
PCB 350-3), and expressed in grams.
Yield per hectare
After obtaining the average cob weight values, they were
multiplied by the number of cob per plant and by the total number of
corn plants, and then expressed in kg.ha
-1
.
Data processing and analysis techniques
The results obtained were transcribed into Excel and processed
using InfoStat (2017), performing an analysis of variance (ANOVA)
on the variables indicated to demonstrate the eect of the treatments.
When signicant, Tukey’s mean comparison test was performed
(p<0.05).
Results and discussion
Stem diameter and plant height
Signicant dierences (p<0.05) were found between T2 (200
kg N.ha
-1
) and the other treatments, with T4 (control) showing the
lowest values (Table 2).
Table 2. Eect of nitrogen fertilization on stem diameter, plant
height, stem length, and stem diameter in La Carlota.
Treatments
Nitrogen dose
(kg.ha
-1
)
Stem diameter
(cm)
Plant height
(cm)
Length of the
cob
(cm)
Diameter of
the cob
(cm)
100 (T1) 1,6b 117b 13b 3,6b
200 (T2) 1,9a 126a 18a 4,4a
400 (T3)
1,6b 118b 13b 3,7b
0 (T4, control)
1,2c 101c 11c 3c
Dierent letters in the variables dier statistically for the Tukey test (p<0.05).
.
The application of N had a positive eect on crop development,
with the highest stem diameter values obtained for T2 (200 kg N.ha
-1
)
at 1.9 cm. The results obtained coincided with the research of León et
al. (2022) with 1.8 cm. Likewise, 200 kg N.ha
-1
presented plant height
values of 126 cm, coinciding with Pereira et al. (2023), who reported
corn plant height values between 122 cm and 137 cm. In this context,
Sraa (2024) indicates that, by increasing fertilizer use, the increase
in total production may decrease.
In this regard, the results of the soil sample analysis show that the
N element had a low value; however, the application of 200 kg N.ha
-
1
had a positive eect as nitrogen fertilization on stem diameter and
plant height, with the best yields. It is important to note that N in corn
plants accumulates in stems and leaves, promoting photosynthesis.
For stem diameter and plant height, the highest dose of N did not
necessarily reect the best results.
It is interesting to note that N should be applied in fractions (as
was done in this study) to reduce losses, but not to fertilize, since,
as can be seen in T4, the non-application of N resulted in the lowest
values for all variables.
Corn cob diameter and length
Signicant dierences (p<0.05) were observed between T2 (200
kg N.ha
-1
) and the rest of the treatments for corn cob diameter and
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(1): e264312 January-March ISSN 2477-9409.
4-4 |
production of photoassimilates; The results suggest that N utilization
should be taken into account to avoid limitations such as in the case
of T4 (without N application), which presented the lowest results for
the variables studied, aecting the productive potential of corn plants;
or in the case of T3 (400 kg N.ha
-1
), which used a higher amount of
N but did not obtain the highest values, including yield per hectare.
Therefore, nitrogen fertilization had an eect on corn cultivation;
nding the appropriate amount of N application is of utmost
importance to achieve the highest yields, seeking to reduce losses,
since, as observed in the research, excessive N application caused a
decrease in yield.
As in previous cases, it can be observed that the highest dose of N
did not yield the best results in terms of yield per hectare. Therefore,
the availability of N and other factors such as imbalances or excesses
of this element, which directly inuence production, must be taken
into account.
Conclusions
When evaluating N fertilization in corn cultivation, it was
observed that the dose of 200 kg N.ha
-1
(T2) had a positive inuence
on corn plant growth, with greater stem diameter, plant height, stem
diameter, ear length, ear weight, and yield per hectare. Higher doses
had a negative eect on corn crop growth and yield.
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