Abstract
We hypothesize that there is a linkage among different soil fertilization regimes, soil chemical attributes and maize grains yield. We aimed to evaluate the relationships between different soil fertilization regimes, soil chemical properties and maize grains yield. The experiment was performed in northeastern Brazil, in a randomized block design, at an area divided into 24 plots with six treatments and four replicates (Nitrogen (N); Leucaena (L); Nitrogen+Leucaena (N+L); Humic Acid+Leucaena (HA+L); Humic Acid+Nitrogen (HA+N) and Humic Acid+Nitrogen+Leucaena (HA+N+L)). Each plot was cropped with maize (Zea mays L.) and the grains yield was estimated. Soil samples were collected at depths of 0–5 cm, 5–10 cm and 10–20 cm. Potential acidity, pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, calcium and magnesium, cation exchange capacity (CEC), sum of basic cations (SBC) and base saturation (BS) were determined. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to correlate soil chemical attributes with maize yield. Calcium, magnesium, available P and SBC were related to the maize grains yield in upper soil layer, especially at nitrogen fertilization. This research confirms the hypothesis that there is a linkage between different soil fertilization regimes, soil properties and the maize grains yield.
Highlights
To better understand about soil and plant system it is necessary to know how the interactions between the two work
Magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium are some examples of macronutrients, which are required in large quantities (>0.1% of dry mass) and plants need of each of them to develop and complete their life cycle (Maathuis, 2009)
The main results of this research indicate that combination between an organic and an inorganic source of nitrogen at N+L treatment led to the increase in maize grains yield and, in this sense, the legume presence was essential to enhance fertility due to alteration of soil bacterial community
Summary
To better understand about soil and plant system it is necessary to know how the interactions between the two work. In these interactions, any change in soil conditions causes transformations in the plant. Civilizations already knew the importance of these interactions and they recognized that agricultural productivity was affected by different soils (Ehrenfeld et al, 2005). In this context, Moura et al (2009), argue that associations between plant productivity and soil chemical attributes are still unclear. As nucleic acids and proteins are built by macronutrients (Morgan and Connolly, 2013)
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