Nitrogen Rate Influence on Pearl Millet Yield, Nitrogen Uptake, and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Nebraska

Abstract

Pearl millet is a potential dryland crop for Nebraska. Experiments were conducted in eastern Nebraska in 2000, 2001, and 2002, and in western Nebraska in 2000 and 2001. The objectives were to determine optimum nitrogen (N) rate, N uptake, and N use efficiency (NUE) for pearl millet. The hybrids “68×086R” and “293A×086R” and N rates of 0, 45, 90, and 135 kg N ha⁻¹ were used. Hybrids had similar yield, N uptake and NUE responses. In western Nebraska in 2000, pearl millet yield response to N rate was linear, but the yield increase was only 354 kg ha⁻¹ to application of 135 kg N ha⁻¹. In eastern Nebraska, pearl millet response to N rate was quadratic with maximum grain yields of 4040 in 2001 and 4890 kg ha⁻¹ in 2002 attained with 90 kg N ha⁻¹. The optimum N rate for pearl millet was 90 kg N ha⁻¹ for eastern Nebraska. For western Nebraska, drought may often limit pearl millet's response to N fertilizer.

Keywords:

• Pearl millet
• nitrogen use efficiency
• nitrogen response
• nitrogen uptake
• nitrogen concentration

Acknowledgments

Contribution of the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583‐0915. Paper No.14399 of the Journal Series of the Nebraska Agric. Res. Div. Research supported in part by the Anna Elliot Fund, University of Nebraska Foundation, and USAID Grant no. DAN 1254‐G‐0021 through INTSORMIL, the International Sorghum and Millet Collaborative Research Program. We thank Tom Galushla for the research technical assistance for the experiment conducted at Mead, and Rob Higgins for the experiment at Sidney.