Effect of Different Fertilizer Types on the Availability of Manganese in Soil Cultivated with Maize (Zea mays L.) During Different Growth Periods

Abstract

The research aimed to determine the availability of manganese in the rhizosphere of maize plants at various growth and development stages. The treatments of the field trial were: nitrogen fertilizer, urea type, 400 and 200 kg hectare-1, humic acid 500 and 250 cm liter-1 per dunum, and organic fertilization (sheep manure) were applied at rates of 8 and 4 ton hectare-1 reflecting the recommended doses and half of the recommendation in addition to the control treatment. In the summer of 2022, a field experiment was conducted. Three replications were used according to the Randomized Complete Block design (R.C.B.D.). The local maize variety was seeded in 9 m2 (3m x 3m) in plots. After 70 and 100 days of planting, the concentration of manganese in the rhizosphere and bulk soil were examined. For the two cultivation periods (70 and 100 days), the levels of accessible manganese to plant were greatest with the O1 treatment and lowest with the M2 treatment in the rhizosphere soil and bulk soils. The data also revealed a drop in the accessible manganese concentration in the soil and outside the rhizosphere as the growth time (100 days) increased, indicating increased plant absorption.