Effect of TNAU Customized Fertilizer on Sustaining Soil Fertility and Enhancing the Maize Yield

Abstract

Customized fertilization for specific crops can provide the solutions to get the maximum yields and enhance the overall use efficiency of all the plant nutrients. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of TNAU customized fertilizer mixture on yield, nutrient uptake of maize and on soil fertility with 6 treatments in randomized block design. The treatments included the application of 120 kg Urea ha-1 + 50 kg DAP ha-1 as Farmers’ practice (T ), Farmers’ practice (T ) 1 1 with micronutrient mixture @ 15 kg ha-1 as EFYM (T ), Recommended dose of fertilizers (NPK alone) (T ), CF1 (Customized fertilizer) -RDF with TNAU micronutrient mixture @ 15 kg ha-1 as EFYM (T ), CF2- RDF with TNAU micronutrient mixture @ 30 kg ha-1 as straight chemical fertilizers (T ) and CF3- RDF with TNAU micronutrient mixture @ 30 kg ha-1 as EFYM (T ). The dry matter 5 6 production, yield parameters, grain and straw yield of maize recorded the highest in CF3- RDF with TNAU micronutrient mixture @ 30 kg ha-1 as EFYM (T ) and the grain yield was 32% higher than the farmers’ practice. The nutrient uptake of macro and micro nutrients recorded higher in the above mentioned treatment followed by application of RDF (NPK) with TNAU micronutrient mixture @ 15 kg ha-1 as EFYM (T ). The application of CF3- RDF with TNAU micronutrient mixture @ 30 kg ha-1 as EFYM (T ) has registered the increased the availability of macro and micro nutrients instead of depleting the soil fertility even after the harvest of crop. From the results, it is concluded that the application of CF3- RDF with TNAU micronutrient mixture @ 30 kg ha-1 as EFYM (T6) for maize can maximize the yield with higher net profit.