Crop performance and nitrogen use-efficiency in maize under conservation agriculture coupled with sub-surface drip fertigation

A field experiment was conducted in maize under medium-term conservation agriculture (CA) based maizewheat system at BISA-CIMMYT, Ladhowal, Punjab during kharif 2019 to assess the effect of CA+ practices (CA with sub-surface drip irrigation) variable N doses on maize. The treatments were residue retained (WR) permanent bed (PB) fertigation (PB-SSD): without (N0), 120 kg N/ha,150 N/ha applied 4-equal (Eq) and differential splits (Df); CA alone treatment includ PB furrow irrigation (PBWRFurrow- N120); conventional tillage (CT) involved (CTWOR-Furrow-N120) other removed (WOR) PB: PBWOR-without N/ha, 150 four Eq-splits Df-splits. findings present showed that numerical value yield attributing characters higher plots as compared (PBWR-Furrow-N120) CT (CTWOR-Furrow-N120). Biological significantly all plots. Highest biological recorded PBWR-SSD-N150 Df (23.45 t/ha). no. cobs (72800/ha), grains/cob (605) cob length (22.61cm) along dry matter resulted highest grain content remained statistically similar across management plots, but case total uptake, (CA+) dominated due biomass. Besides, PBWR-SSD-N120 (average Eq) registered 23-24% uptake than N120) Improved agronomic use-efficiency also (36.4 kg/kg N) (36.7