Cereals response to nutrients varies according to soil characteristics in sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, subtractive trials were conducted to identify the major nutrients (N, P, K) limiting maize yield in Senegal central south (Nioro site) and east (Sinthiou Malème site) soils. In each zone, we set up a randomized complete block experiment on station with 4 replicates and on farm in 5 scattered fields. The following treatments were evaluated: non-fertilizer (T) control, completely fertilized with NPK at high doses (150N-40P2O5-40K2O kg/ha), and three other treatments (PK, NK, NP) resulting from the successive omission of one element from the NPK. Soil nutrients analysis revealed, at Nioro station, a N deficiency associated, in Nioro farm, with that of P and K. However, in Sinthiou Malème, N and P deficiencies were noticed. Application of NPK increased the grain yield between 143 % and 543 % compared to the control. At Nioro, the grain yield was limited only by N on station, but by both P and K on farm. Regarding Sinthiou Malème the grain yield was Evaluation… Arona Sonko et al.