THE EFFECT OF SULPHUR FERTILISATION ON THE GROWTH AND YIELDS OF FORAGE MAIZE

Abstract

Field experiment was carried out during the growing season in 2014 year on the soil of good rye complex in Experimental Research Station in Lipnik near Stargard. It was examined three variants of fertilisation: 0 – control (KP), N – (KP+N) and S – (KP+N+S). The maize, cultivar P8609, developed very well and responded positively to the fertilisation. Fertilisation with nitrogen and sulphur, as a calcium sulphate containing 17 % sulphur (= 42.5 % SO3) (variant S), as by-product from industrial Flue-gas desulphurisation, had a positive influence on the biometric features of maize plants (height, height to the first cob and thickness of the stems) and physiological parameters (SPAD – leaf greenness index and the assimilation area index – LAI). We found a significant effect of fertilisation with nitrogen and sulphur, as a calcium sulphate (variant S), on yield of fresh mass. There has been an increase of approx. 8 %, from 48.6 t·ha-1 in the variant N (PK+N) to 52.6 t·ha-1. Also the yield of dry mass increased from approx. 25.2 t·ha-1 on the variant N (PK+N) to 25.3 t·ha-1 (variant S). The evaluated grain yield of maize increased from approx. 10 (variant N) to 10.7 t·ha-1, i.e. of 8 %, after using of nitrogen and sulphur fertilisers (variant S).