An economic evaluation of using biostimulators and fertilisation in the grain maize production

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the impact of using biostimulants and nitrogen fertilization on the profitability of growing two cultivars of maize grown for grain with different FAO earliness class. The studies were conducted in three vegetation seasons of2015–2017. Data comes from a farm specializing in plant production. The economic assessment was made using the European Union (EU) method based on the standard gross margin (SGM). Operating income and profitability ratios were also calculated. Yields of studied maize cultivars were varied; on average, in the three examined years, the ‘P8400’ cultivar gave the best yield – 11.68 t ha–1, using nitrogen fertilization 160 kg N ha–1 and biostimulant Asahi SL. The lowest yield was obtained for the ‘PR38N86’ cultivar – 6.7 t ha–1, lacking nitrogen fertilization and without a growth stimulator. The highest profitability index (calculated with subsidies) on average over three years of research was achieved with nitrogen fertilization 120 kg N ha–1 and without the use of a growth biostimulant, for the ‘P8400’ cultivar – 188.54%, and the ‘PR38N86’ cultivar — 185.27%.