Two field experiments were conducted at El-Serw Agricultural Research Station, Agric. Research Center (ARC) during the two summer seasons of 1999 and 2000. The study aimed to find out the effect of different winter preceding crops, i.e. faba bean, wheat and sugar beet and different sources of nitrogen fertilization at rate of 120 kg N/fad (100 % mineral N, 100 % organic N, 25 % mineral N + 75 % organic N, 75 % mineral N + 25 % organic N) and three plant densities (20000, 24000 and 30000 plants/fad) as well as their interactions on growth yield and yield components of maize cv. TWC 321. A split-split plot design with three replications was used. The main findings could be summarized as follows:
1- Faba bean markedly surpassed in both seasons wheat and sugar beet in all characters studies except 50 % silking in both seasons. However, sugar beet was the earliest follow by wheat and faba bean using number of days from planting date to 50 % silking.
2- Different sources of nitrogen significantly affected on maize yield and its components. The highest grain yield/fad was obtained from 75 % mineral + 25 % N organic (23.8 ard/fad). While the lowest yield was to 100 % organic (18.76 ard/fad). Whereas, the fertilizer of 100 N mineral was delayed at number of days from planting to 50 % silking.
3- Increasing plant density from 20000 to 30000 plants/fad significantly increased all the characters except 100-kernel weight and Ear length in the second season. On the other hand, kernels weight/ear, 100-kernel weight , ear diameter and ear leaf area were markedly decreased by increasing plant density.
4- Grain yield ard/fad was significantly increased and affected by the interaction between preceding crops and source of nitrogen in second season and between plant density and source of nitrogen in the first season.
5- Maximum maize grain yield ard/fad was produced from planting faba bean as preceding crop interacted with 120 kg N/fad as (75 % mineral nitrogen + 25 % organic nitrogen) and with density of 30000 plants/fad.
This is the recommendation for raising maize productivity under the conditions of El-Serw district.