Improving yield and quality of maize by different drip-fertigation rates of N, P and K fertilizers

Lower fertilizer use efficiency coupled with conventional irrigation methods has been the issue of agricultural production system in Pakistan contributing to lower crop yields. In this backdrop, an experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of drip-fertigation using different rates of N, P and K fertilizers i.e., F 100 (100% of recommended), F 75 (75% of recommended), F 50 (50% of recommended) and F 25 (25% of recommended) on hybrid maize in autumn and spring growing season. Results suggested that number of final harvested plants ha -1 decreased by 4.9% in autumn and 5.85% in spring season as fertilizer rates decreased from F 100 to F 25 while decrease in ears ha -1 was 5.9% and 6.05%, respectively. Plant and ear height remained stable with decrease in fertilizer rate from F 100 to F 50 . On average with F 25 , crop reached maturity 2 days earlier in both autumn and spring seasons, respectively, against F 100 . Ear length and number of grains row -1 showed an increasing trend with increasing fertigation rate. Number of rows ear -1 showed significant response only in one growing instance out of four. In both seasons, crop produced or sustained highest fresh ear weight and grain yield (kg ha -1 ) at F 75 indicating that a further increment of 25% nutrients (F 100 ) would be an excessive rate. Protein and oil % were also higher at F 75 treatment in both seasons. Partial factor productivity (PFP) showed a negative relation with increasing fertigation rate however higher PFP values at lower fertilizer rates were economically ineffective. In conclusion, application of 75% of the recommended N, P and K fertilizers through drip fertigation optimized the grain yield and quality of maize in Punjab.