The study looked at how different amounts of fertilizer at different stages of growth affect maize plants in Northeast China. They tested three different fertilizer ratios and found that giving more fertilizer during the heading stage led to shorter plants, but higher biomass and nitrogen uptake. This also improved the efficiency of the fertilizer. The yield of maize was not significantly different between the different fertilizer ratios, but the highest yield was seen with more fertilizer during the heading stage. Overall, the best approach for maize growth in this region is to use more fertilizer during the jointing and heading stages, and less during the filling stage.