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2026 Vol.71, Issue 1 Preview Page

Original Research Article

Response of Maize Growth and Yield to Subsurface Drip Irrigation and Nitrogen Fertigation
Ye Rin Kim1
,
Jong Hyuk Kim1
,
Seung Han Cho2
,
Yeon Ju Lee2
,
Ju Hyeon Ha2
,
Seo Young Mun2
,
Il Rae Rho34*
1Ph. D, Department of Applied Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea
2MS, Department of Applied Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea
3Professor, Department of Agronomy, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea
4Senior Researcher, Institute of Agriculture Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea
*Corresponding Author
1 March 2026. pp. 24-37
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Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of liquid fertilizer (LF) and nitrogen (N) topdressing using a subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system in maize cultivars. The topdressing was applied as a 1% concentration of LF and N dissolved into 19.2 mm 10a-1 water at the V6 and silking stages, respectively. The photosynthetic indicators were higher in the middle and late growth stages in the topdressing treatments with SDI than in the control treatment. Additionally, root growth, plant growth, and yield were higher in all topdressing treatments than in the control treatment. For the ‘Ilmichal’ cultivar (a waxy corn), the yield was highest in the LF and N8 (topdressing 8 kg N 10a-1) treatments, whereas for the ‘VSC03’ cultivar (a super sweet corn), it was highest in the N8 treatment. However, excessive N fertilization, such as with N10 (topdressing 10 kg N 10a-1), slightly decreased the yield. Therefore, this study confirmed that topdressing with SDI can enhance growth and yield when applied appropriately. Additionally, the LF treatment, which was applied at the same N level as the optimal N8 treatment, showed comparable effects on growth and yield.

Keywords
fertigation
liquid fertilizer
maize
subsurface drip irrigation
topdressing
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Information
  • Publisher :The Korean Society of Crop Science
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국작물학회
  • Journal Title :The Korean Journal of Crop Science
  • Journal Title(Ko) :한국작물학회지
  • Volume : 71
  • No :1
  • Pages :24-37
  • Received Date : 2025-10-12
  • Revised Date : 2025-12-03
  • Accepted Date : 2025-12-15
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7740/kjcs.2026.71.1.024
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