Effect of fertilization on the yield of maize (Zea mays L.) when applying different tillage treatments

The maize yield data were examined in an 11-year long-term field experiment involving three cultivation treatments and three nutrition levels, set up at the Latokep Experimental Station of Debrecen University on chemozem soil. Stability analysis and relative stability analysis were used to evaluate the long-term field experiment. Stability analysis revealed similar yield deviations as the result of environmental effects in the autumn ploughing, spring ploughing and disc-tilling treatments. The unfertilised treatment (T1) proved to be the most stable in all the tillage treatments. The T2 (N-120 P-90 K-106) and T3 (N-240 P-180 K-216) fertilizer treatments yielded similarly in all tillage treatments in different environments. Relative stability analysis was used to compare treatment pairs and their respective stability. The T2 and T3 treatments gave greater yields than the control above environmental means of 2-2.6 t/ha and 2.6-3.7 t/ha respectively. A comparison of the T2 and T3 treatments revealed that when winter ploughing and disc-tilling were applied the T2 treatment was more stable and also yielded more, while the stability of the T2 and T3 treatments did not differ significantly in the spring ploughing treatment, though here too the T2 treatment yielded more than the T3 treatment.