Ojeniyi Kehinde, Ngonidzashe Chirinda, Devkota Krishna, Madukwe Donald
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Agricultural Innovations and Technology Transfer Centre (AITTC), Benguerir, Morocco.
International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), Rabat, Morocco.
Heliyon. 2024 Sep 14;10(19):e37747. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37747. eCollection 2024 Oct 15.
Inadequate and imbalanced fertilizer application is a significant barrier to achieving higher maize yields in Nigeria's Middle Belt. This study hypothesized that optimizing fertilizer types and application rates, particularly through split applications of straight fertilizers, can significantly enhance maize yield and nutrient use efficiency compared to conventional NPK blends and farmer's practices. This experiment evaluated the effects of optimizing types and amounts of fertilizer on maize growth and yield, soil characteristics, and nutrient use efficiencies in the mid-belt region of Nigeria. A field experiment was conducted at two locations using a randomized complete block design with four replications. The treatments included national and regional fertilizer recommendations, applied as NPK blends and straight fertilizers, along with a farmer's practice and control. Soil samples were collected before and after the experiment, and data on yield, yield attributes, grain, and leaf samples, were collected for analysis. The results showed that split applications of straight fertilizers increased grain yield by 22 %-46 %, achieving yields ranging from 2.37 to 3.08 t ha, compared to yields from NPK blends. Nitrogen uptake efficiency improved by up to 52 %, while potassium uptake exceeded 100 % in certain treatments. Despite higher input costs, split applications yielded gross margins up to 35 % greater than those obtained with NPK blends, underscoring their economic viability. Split application of regional recommendation of 119:38:20 kg ha of N, P, and K from straight fertilizer shows higher yields and better nutrient efficiency than NPK blends, proving effective for optimum maize production in the region. No significant changes in soil physio-chemical properties, suggesting that long-term studies are needed to fully understand the impact of fertilizer practices on soil health These findings strongly support the adoption of site-specific nutrient management strategies, particularly the use of straight fertilizers in split applications, to maximize maize production in Nigeria's Middle-Belt.
肥料施用不足和不均衡是尼日利亚中部地区提高玉米产量的重大障碍。本研究假设，与传统氮磷钾复合肥和农民的施肥方式相比，优化肥料类型和施用量，特别是通过分次施用单质肥料，可显著提高玉米产量和养分利用效率。本试验评估了优化肥料类型和用量对尼日利亚中部地区玉米生长、产量、土壤特性和养分利用效率的影响。在两个地点进行了田间试验，采用随机完全区组设计，重复四次。处理包括国家和地区肥料推荐用量，以氮磷钾复合肥和单质肥料的形式施用，以及农民的施肥方式和对照。在试验前后采集土壤样本，并收集产量、产量构成因素、籽粒和叶片样本的数据进行分析。结果表明，与氮磷钾复合肥相比，分次施用单质肥料使籽粒产量提高了22% - 46%，产量范围为2.37至3.08吨/公顷。氮素吸收效率提高了52%，在某些处理中钾素吸收超过了100%。尽管投入成本较高，但分次施用的毛利润比氮磷钾复合肥高出35%，凸显了其经济可行性。从单质肥料中分次施用119:38:20千克/公顷的氮、磷、钾区域推荐用量，比氮磷钾复合肥产量更高，养分效率更好，证明对该地区玉米的最佳生产有效。土壤理化性质没有显著变化，这表明需要进行长期研究以充分了解施肥方式对土壤健康的影响。这些发现有力地支持了采用因地制宜的养分管理策略，特别是在分次施用中使用单质肥料，以实现尼日利亚中部地区玉米产量最大化。
