Maize Yield Response under Various Phosphorus Sources and their Ratios

Abstract

Improper use of fertilizers and its ratio is one of the main reasons for low productivity; therefore balance fertilization is required to maintain crop production and improved soil fertility. Therefore the experiment was carried out at Cereal Crop Research Institute (CCRI) Pirsabak, Distract Nowshera KP, Pakistan during Kharif 2016. To study the effect of different phosphorus (P) sources and their ratios on maize yield and yield components, an experiment was carried out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replication. The treatments consisted of sole application of Farmyard Manure (FYM), Poultry Manure (PM) and Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), 75% FYM+25% DAP, 50% FYM+50% DAP, 75% PM+25% DAP, 50% PM+50% DAP and a control treatment with no P fertilizer. Phosphorus was applied at the rate of 100 kg ha-1 from different sources in different ratios. The results indicated a significant effect of different phosphorus sources on days to tasselling, days to silking, days to maturity, plant height, grains ear-1, grain yield, biological yield, and harvest index, whereas the emergence m-2 was found non-significant with different P sources. The combined use of organic and inorganic P sources delayed tasselling, silking and maturity. Plant height, grains ear-1, biological yield, grain yield, and harvest index was also higher with the addition of P from both sources as compared with the sole application of organic or inorga nic fertilizer. The combined application of organic manures 50:50 (FYM or PM) and inorganic fertilizer (DAP) performed better as compared to the rest of the ratios and produced higher yield and yield components.