Effect of NPK and Urea Briquette Fertilizers on Growth and Yield of Maize (Zea mays L.)
Eric Darkwah Amponsah
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Education, Faculty of Agriculture Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED). P.O. Box 40, Mampong-Ashanti, Ghana.
Kofi Agyarko
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Education, Faculty of Agriculture Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED). P.O. Box 40, Mampong-Ashanti, Ghana.
Eliezer Bortei Borketey-La
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Education, Faculty of Agriculture Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED). P.O. Box 40, Mampong-Ashanti, Ghana.
Williams Kwame Atakora
International Fertilizer Development Centre, PMB CT 284 Cantonments-No 133A, Mbabane Avenue, East Legon Residential Area Accra, Ghana.
Samuel Ebo Owusu
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Education, Faculty of Agriculture Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED). P.O. Box 40, Mampong-Ashanti, Ghana.
Emmanuel Appiah
*
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Education, Faculty of Agriculture Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED). P.O. Box 40, Mampong-Ashanti, Ghana.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A multi-locational field experiment was conducted at Amantin and Nsapor from April to August 2022 to evaluate the effect of NPK fertilizers, in granule and briquette forms, on growth and yield of maize. The experimental design used was a Randomized Complete Block Design with 7 treatments and four replications. The treatments were: - (i) No fertilizer (Control), (ii) Granule NPK & Urea (120-40-40) 200 kg ha-1, (iii) Briquette NPK & Urea (121-58.7-59) 230.4 kg ha-1 , (iv) Briquette NPK & Urea (114-44-44) 172.8 kg ha-1, (v) Briquette NPK & Urea (91-59-59) 230.4 kg ha-1, (vi) Briquette NPK & Urea (76-29-29) kg ha-1, and (vii) Briquette NPK & Urea (31-29-29) 115.2 kg ha-1. The results showed that at Amantin and Nsapor, the application of Briquette NPK & Urea (121–58.7–59) at 230.4 kg ha-1 and (76–29–29) at 115.2 kg ha-1, respectively, produced the highest soil OC, available P, and TN relative to the control. Ca, Mg, and K also increased slightly under these treatments with moderately acidic (5.5–6.2) soil pH across all treatments. The treatments had no significant (P>0.05) effect on the number of days to 50% tasseling and silking across both locations. Across locations, the application of Briquette NPK & Urea (121–58.7–59) at 230.4 kg ha-1 produced the tallest plants and the widest stem diameter than the control at 5 and 7 WAP. Plants that received Briquette NPK & Urea (121–58.7–59) 230.4 kg ha-1 and Briquette NPK & Urea (76-29-29) 115.2 kg ha-1 at Amantin and Nsapor, respectively recorded significantly higher cob weight per plot, longer cob length, wider cob diameter, and heavier 100-seed weight as compared to the control. Maize plants that received Briquette NPK and Urea (121–58.7–59) at 230.4 kg ha-1 in Amantin and Briquette NPK and Urea (76–29–29) at 115.2 kg ha-1 in Nsapor produced significantly (P<0.05) higher grain yields than the other fertilizer rates and the control. It is recommended that for improved soil chemical properties, effective plant growth, and higher grain yield, maize farmers should apply Briquette NPK & Urea (121–58.7–59) at 230.4 kg ha-1 and/or Briquette NPK and Urea (76–29–29) at 115.2 kg ha-1.
Keywords: NPK briquette, urea briquette, soil fertility, grain yield, cob length, cob diameter