In modern agricultural practice, as the climate is becoming increasingly extreme, there is an increasing emphasis on precision agriculture, more specifically, precision nutrient replenishment. A balanced plant nutrition is essential to increase yields in a sustainable way, during which, in addition to the optimal replenishment of macronutrients, it is important to avoid any micronutrient deficiencies in the plant. The aim of our research was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen fertilization on dry matter incorporation and plant micronutrient uptake by comparing two hybrids of maize of different genotypes and ripening times (Zea mays L. H1: FAO 420, H2: FAO 490). During the analysis, the microelement content of the examined hybrids and the effect of nitrogen fertilization on yield were determined. Based on our results, we concluded that the nitrogen dose of 120 kg ha-1 has a significant positive effect on the dry matter incorporation of maize and on the specific microelement content of the different plant organs. During the development of the plant, in addition to the specific microelement concentrations, the increasing dry matter content in the plants significantly increased the measured, actual microelement content. In addition, it was found that the nitrogen supply at a dose of 120 kg ha-1 significantly increased the yield of the hybrids by 78.5%, i.e. 3.965 t ha-1 compared to the control values. At the V8 phase, nitrogen fertilization resulted in a significantly higher specific iron content in the leaves compared to the control, increasing its value by 91.1 mg kg-1, while in the stems of the plants it resulted in a specific zinc content decrease of 25.3 mg kg-1, which was also observed at the time of physiological maturity. Based on the results of the research, it was shown that, in addition to the use of nitrogen as the most abundant nutrient, proper attention should be paid to the level of micronutrient supply in plants, as increased nitrogen fertilization resulted in reduced micronutrient uptake in several cases. Differences between hybrids may contribute to optimal, site-specific hybrid selection and to the further development of reasonable precision nutrient replenishment practices.

Keywords: micronutrient uptake, nitrogen, precision nutrient replenishment, dry matter accumulation