Two field experiments were conducted at Soil Department Greenhouse, of Agriculture Faculty, Mansoura University, during 2007 and 2008 summer seasons using maize plant to investigate the effect of water stress and nitrogen fertilizer sources on growth, yield and yield components of maize plants. Twenty-four treatments were arranged in strip split split design which were the simple possible combination between two treatments of irrigation (Normal irrigation 100% of field capacity and stress irrigation 60% of field capacity ), three treatments of mineral nitrogen fertilizer at rates of (0,50,100% from the recommended doses ), two treatments of organic nitrogen as farmyard manure (with and without FYM ) and two treatments of nitrogen biofertilizer (inoculated with Azotobacter chroococcum and uninoculated one).
The obtained results indicated that:
Water stress significantly decreased maize plant dry weight, straw and grains. While, those parameter increased by increasing mineral nitrogen. Also, they increased by adding FYM and inoculation of maize grains by Azotobacter in both seasons.
The interaction among the water stress and nitrogen sources showed insignificantly effect on maize plant dry weight, straw and grains.
Water stress significantly decreased N, P, K, Ca and Mg leaf content of maize plants but Na leaf content was increased .Increasing nitrogen fertilizer rates increased N, P, K, Na, Ca and Mg leaf content of maize plants. Also, FYM application and inoculation by biofertilizers increased N, P, K, Na, Ca and Mg leaf content of maize plants.
There are no interaction effects among the four studied factors on the N, P, K, Na, Ca and Mg leaf content.
The N, P, K, Ca and Mg maize grains content decreased by water stress but Na increased ,on the other hand these characters increased by either increasing nitrogen fertilizer rates or by FYM additions and with inoculation by biofertilizers .
The interactions among the four studied factors had insignificantly effect on nutrient grains content.
Water stress significantly decreased maize grains protein and NO3-1but increased grains carbohydrates content. Increasing application of mineral nitrogen rates, addition of organic and biofertilizers in the two seasons significantly increased the protein, NO3-1 and carbohydrates percentages in maize grains.
The interaction among the water stress and nitrogen sources showed insignificantly effect on maize grains protein percentage. While, it had significantly effect on maize grains NO3-1 and carbohydrates percentages in the two seasons.
Thus, it could be concluded that the nitrogen fertilization at the rates of 100% (260.87 Kg urea fed-1 of recommended doses) and adding FYM at 25m3fed-1 with inoculation of maize grains by Azotobacter under normal irrigation are considered as most suitable treatment for obtaining the highest yield of maize under these experimental conditions. In addition, the organic and biofertilizer had an important role in reduce the negative effect of water stress on maize plants and helping for reducing both the pollution factors and the economical maize production costs.