In this video, Douglas Jandrey, an agricultural engineer, talks about the factors related to nitrogen management to ensure high productivity, and addresses aspects related to the physiology of the corn plant to try to optimize nitrogen application, always aiming to increase the average productivity of the crop. Some aspects that are brought up in the video apply to both off-season and summer corn. Nitrogen is so important because it is the basic constituent for the formation of plant proteins. There are several literature reviews that have quantified that, for each unit of nitrogen, 6.25 units of protein are produced. Therefore, nitrogen is the fundamental structural block for the production of amino acids and, consequently, for the production of proteins. Nitrogen is also an important constituent for the chlorophyll molecule, which is the key molecule for the production of photoassimilates in the plant, for the process of photosynthesis. Therefore, all nitrogen nutrition is directly related to the proper functioning and productive capacity of the corn plant. Nitrogen management is a fundamental aspect for high productivity management in corn crops. One point that should be considered in relation to nitrogen availability is the previous crop: what was in the soil before corn entered the system? Speaking of summer corn, we have some winter cover crops that are capable of fixing nitrogen (in the case of legumes), or recycling nitrogen from deeper layers (such as forage radish). And speaking of the off-season corn system, we have an important contribution of residual nitrogen from soybeans as well. Some literature data indicate that a good soybean crop can leave between 30 and 50 kg of N/ha for the corn crop in succession. This is an important contribution for the corn that will be planted after the soybeans. All this contribution from vetch (summer) or soybeans (off-season) should be considered when calculating the nitrogen management that will be done in the crop, seeking high productivity. Regarding the application of Nitrogen via fertilizers, each source presents a certain efficiency or a different degree of loss. In the case of urea, for example, which is the most widely used source of N in Brazil due to its cost-benefit, there is some data indicating losses above 50%. To seek to increase the efficiency of N use, it is necessary to synchronize the application of the nutrient with the period of greatest demand by the plant. In addition, the climatic conditions that are in effect at the time of Nitrogen application must be observed, because the higher the temperature and the drier the weather, the lower its utilization. Thinking about high-yield production, the importance of Nitrogen is not only in the initial stages, but also in the final stages of development. See more at: www.pioneersementes.com.br/blog/141/o-manejo-de-nitrogenio-em-milho-para-altas-produtividades