EFFECT OF DIFFERENT PHOSPHORUS SOURCES ON THE GROWTH, YIELD, ENERGY CONTENT AND PHOSPHORUS UTILIZATION EFFICIENCY IN MAIZE AT RAWALAKOT AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR, PAKISTAN

Effect of poultry manure (PM) and four inorganic phosphorus (P) fertilizers sources, i.e., diammonium phosphate (DAP), single super phosphate (SSP), nitrophos (NP) and triple super phosphate (TSP) on crop production and P utilization efficiency (PUE) of maize was studied. Both inorganic P fertilizers and PM applied alone or combined in 50:50 proportions at equivalent rate of 90 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹. Results indicated that inorganic P sources with PM significantly increased plant height, leaf area and chlorophyll content. Average values showed that combined application of inorganic P with PM increased grain yield by 19 and 41% over inorganic P and PM alone, respectively. Similarly, increase in P-uptake due to the combined application of inorganic P + PM was 17% compared to sole inorganic P. Phosphorus utilization efficiency of inorganic P was increased with PM and the highest PUE was recorded in DAP + PM. Generally, combination of DAP + PM proved superior over the remaining P fertilizers.

Keywords:

• phosphorus sources
• yield
• protein
• P efficiency
• maize

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to thank to the scientists and staff in Soil and Environmental Science group of Faculty of Agriculture, Rawalakot for providing technical support and the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir for financial support.