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Improving efficiency of applied nutrients is important to produce optimum crop yields with reduced fertilizer inputs. Phosphorous (P) has antagonistic effect on zinc (Zn) uptake by plants and information on the efficiency of these each nutrients in maize cultivars are limited. This study evaluated the response of different levels of Zn (0, 9 mg kg-1 soil) and P (0, 40 mg kg-1 soil) on growth, nutrient uptake and their utilization efficiency in four maize cultivars differing in their growth behavior (DK-6142, P1543, Neelam and Afghoi) when grown under natural greenhouse conditions. Maize cultivars significantly differed for above given traits and among treatments, combined Zn+P application increased dry matter, nutrient uptake and their efficiency as compared with control. Agronomic, physiological and recovery efficiency of P increased in Neelam, Afghoi and DK-6142 cultivars with Zn applied and vice versa. Afghoi and DK-6142 cultivars were more responsive for agronomic, physiological and apparent Zn and P recovery efficiency than other ones. For P1543 cultivar, Zn and P physiological efficiency decreased while recovery efficiency increased, respectively with combined application of both nutrients. However, for each of the nutrients utilization efficiency, none of these were related to open pollinated or hybrid maize cultivars and rather dependent on genetic makeup for internal higher utilization efficiency. Overall, nutrient efficiency of applied Zn or P are interdependent on each other and maize cultivars had a differential response to their applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]