Abstract: In this study, maize (Nongda 108) was used as the experiment material with vermiculite cultivation. At first, the suitable concentration of Hoagland nutrient solution and GABA was selected, and then the same amount of nitrogen-containing GABA（1 mmol/L）; glycine (Gly), methionine (Met) and urea on the effects of growth in maize was studied. The results showed that compared with the control, glycine and methionine showed no significant difference in the growth of maize seedlings, whereas urea and GABA could speed up the development process of maize seedlings by improving the nitrate reductase activity, accelerating the consumption of soluble sugar, and promoting the soluble protein synthesis during this process, and the effects of GABA and urea were similar. But the difference in the absorption of elements, GABA significantly increased more kinds of elements than urea.

Key words: maize, γ-aminobutyric acid, urea