Influence of Organic Manures and Synthetic Fertilizers on Nutrient Uptake and Yield of Fodder Maize

Abstract

A pot culture experiment was conducted at the Department of Agronomy, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai, during rabi season 2019 - 2020 to study the influence of organic manures and synthetic fertilizers on the nutrient uptake and green fodder yield of fodder maize (Zea mays L.). An experiment was laid out with two factors and three replications. Four organic manure treatments in main-plots viz., no manure, farm yard manure (25 t ha-1), vermicompost (12 t ha-1) and poultry manure (12 t ha-1) and four fertilizer treatments in subplots viz., No fertilizer, 125% RDF, 100% RDF, 75% RDF. The recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) for fodder maize is 60 kg N ha-1: 40 kg P2O5 ha-1: 20 kg K2O ha-1. The organic manures were applied as per the N equivalent basis to the inorganic nutrient recommendation. The results revealed that the application of nutrients through poultry manure @ 12 t ha-1 resulted in higher plant uptake of Nitrogen (112.2 kg ha-1), phosphorus ( 19.26 kg ha-1), and potassium ( 117.7 kg ha-1) followed by the application of farm yard manure @ 25 t ha-1 on N equivalent basis. Concerning fertilizers, the application of 75% recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer resulted in higher plant nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium uptake (104.9, 18.9, 108.54 Kg ha-1 N, P, K, respectively). About the fodder yield, the highest green and dry fodder yield were recorded under the treatment combination of poultry manure along with 75% RDF 31.84 t ha-1 and 5.19 t ha-1 at 60 DAS, respectively).