Assessment of fertilizers for improved productivity of maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of five fertilization strategies on maize productivity in a randomized complete block design with four replications at Phitsanulok, Thailand in 2018. The treatments; T2 312.5 kg HO fertilizer/ha; T4 250 kg NPK + 0.5% KNO3 at 60 days after planting (DAP); T3 250 kg NPK + micro nutrients mixture spray0.5% at 60 DAP and T1 250 kg NPK + 12.5 tons farmyard manure (FYM)/ha, recorded a significantly high grain yield of 8,865.22 kg/ha, 8,695.22 kg/ha, 7,821.89 kg/ha and 7,240.56 kg/ha, respectively, compared to the control 312.5 kg NPK/ha (6,423.33 kg/ha). This lead to a significant (p≤0.05) yield increase of 27.5%, 26.1%, 17.9% and 11.3%, respectively over the control/ha. Plant analysis revealed that, NK uptake were greatest in T4 (116.83 and 207.32 kg/ha) and T2 (99.68 and 169.04 kg/ha). P uptake was highest in T2 (56.04 kg/ha) and T3 (52.42 kg/ha). Economic studies also showed that profit increased by 40.1%, 36.9%, 26.2% and 9.0% in T2, T4, T3 and T1 respectively, as well as the highest benefit cost ratio (B:C) (1.91) in T2. After the trial, improvement in soil properties were much more in (T2 < T1 < T3 < T4 < control). Soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were significantly improved by T1 and T2; this showed that the soil’s health and resilience to retain and release nutrients had improved. We recommend the treatments T2, T4, T3 and T1 for high maize yield production and T2 and T1 for soil properties enhancement.

Keywords

• maize yield
• potassium nitrate
• production economics
• soil properties
• ho fertilizer