CHALQUEÑO MAIZE (Zea mays L.) YIELD UNDER DIFFERENT FERTILIZATION SCHEMES IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF APAN, HIDALGO, MEXICO

Abstract

Background. In Mexico, corn is the most important crop, being an important input with food, economic, political, and social implications. However, intensive cultivation methods, based on chemical pesticides, monoculture and synthetic agrochemicals have caused a reduction in soil fertility and crop yields. An alternative, which can help restore soil fertility, increasing organic matter, moisture retention and the load of microorganisms, is mixed fertilizer. Stimulating, in addition, the defense systems of the plants and thus increasing the yield of the crops. Objective. To evaluate some fertilization schemes in Chalqueño maize plants through the measurement of some growth and yield variables. Methodology. A completely randomized block experimental design was established with three repetitions, where four fertilization schemes were evaluated (T1, control without fertilizer input; T2, chemical fertilizer; T3, organic fertilizer; and T4, chemical fertilizer + organic fertilizer) during the crop years 2019-2020. Results. The analyzes showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) between the evaluated treatments and years of cultivation. Being the T4 treatment, the one that obtained the best grain yield for the years 2019 and 2020, with values of 5.11 ± 0.05b t ha-1 and 6.57 ± 0.95a t ha-1, while the T1 treatment, recorded 1.59 ± 0.12f t ha-1 and 2.15 ± 0.38e t ha-1, respectively. Implications. With the information generated, it will be possible to implement the best fertilization scheme that provides the corn plants with all the necessary nutrients so that year after year they obtain the best grain yields. Conclusion. Through the results it was possible to demonstrate the negative effect of environmental factors (higher temperature and less rainfall), on the yield of the corn crop during the year 2019, with respect to the best yield result obtained for all the treatments during the year 2020 where a lower temperature and higher rainfall were recorded. Being equally evident the positive effect on the yield when plants were fertilized with the T4 treatment that provided to the corn crop with an adequate dose of moisture and macro and micronutrients.