Use of Some Organic and Bio Fertilizers as a Partial Substitution of the Mineral Nitrogen Fertilization for Corn

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Shandweel Agricultural Research Stations, Sohag Governorate, during each of the two successive summer seasons 2014 and 2015 to study the effects of organic and bio fertilizers as a partial substitution of the mineral nitrogen fertilization and their effects on yield, (N,P and K uptake) and protein content in grains for the TWC 310 maize cultivar. The used soil was clay loam in texture, having pH 7.7, O.M 1.27%. The experiments were laid down in split-split plot design with four replications. The experiments included 27 treatments, which were the combination of 3 nitrogen levels (60,90 and 120 kg N fed -1 ), 3 treatments of organic and bio fertilizer (without organic and bio fertilizer, 10m 3 FYM fed -1 and microbein inoculume) and 3 treatments of humic acid (water spraying, humic and fulvic acid spraying) at a rate (2% v/v) at two times (30 and 45 days from planting). The obtained results revealed that a significant and gradual increase in grain yield, N, P and K uptake and protein content were found by increasing nitrogen fertilizer levels from 60 to 120 kg N fed -1 during the two seasons of the study. The results also revealed significant improvements in grain yield and N, P and K uptake and protein content due to the applications of farm yard manure or (Microbein) compared with the control (without organic and bio fertilizers) in both seasons. The effect of spraying humic acid was significant for all studied traits. The interaction effects of all factors under study were significant for all studied traits. The highest values in grain yield were (29.078 and 28.735 ard. fed -1 ) and were obtained by adding 90 kg N fed -1 . combined with 10m3 FYM fed -1 . and sprayed with F.A during 2014 and 2015 seasons respectively. It can be recommended that the possibility to minimize the application of chemical fertilizer and in the same time increasing maize production in quantity and quality was true by adding organic and/or bio fertilizers.