Vegetative and reproductive performance of maize to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers in Plinthic Acrisol and Gleyic Plinthic Acrisol

Abstract

Soil specific maize response to N and P may provide guidelines for improving nutrient management. Three replicates of N and P fertilizer combinations (N₀P₀, N₀P₉₀, N₁₂₀P₀, and N₁₂₀P₉₀) were arranged in randomized complete block design on Plinthic Acrisol (PA) and Gleyic Plinthic Acrisol (GPA) in Ghana. Treatment effects on maize plant height and yield parameters were assessed. Plant height differed consistently with N₁₂₀P₉₀ > N₀P₉₀ > N₁₂₀P₀/N₀P₀ from 3 to 7 weeks after planting on the GPA. On the GPA, grain yield ranged from 1.20 to 2.40 t ha⁻¹ and increased by 10, 77 and 95% in the N₁₂₀P₀, N₀P₉₀ and N₁₂₀P₉₀, respectively. Residual effect of N₀P₉₀ and N₁₂₀P₉₀ increased maize yields on the GPA than on the PA. Rather than N, P was more critical to maize performance and should be externally supplied not exceeding the critical level of N₀P₆₀ (Plinthic Acrisol) and N₀P₉₀ (Gleyic Plinthic Acrisol) for optimum maize yield.

Keywords:

• maize yield
• plant height
• nitrogen
• phosphorus
• Acrisol

Acknowledgement

Authors acknowledge the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) for scholarship support to the first author and institutional support to KNUST and CSIR-SRI.