Field Crops> Maize> Manures & Fertilisers

Manures and fertilisers both play important role in the maize cultivation. A liberal quantity of bulky manures should be applied in the field if available. Add 10 to 15 tonnes of well rotted organic matter in the form of farm yard manure or compost before sowing. The application of organic matter to the soil ensures good tilth and improves water-holding capacity.

Hybrids and composite varieties of maize exhibit their full yield potential only when supplied with adequate quantities of nutrients of proper time. A crop of maize yielding about 14 tonnes of dry matter (both grain and stover) takes up about 161 kg N, 34 kg P and 110 kg K per hectare. The exact quantity of the fertiliser that has to be applied to the soil will depend not only on the plant requirements of individual nutrients but also on how much of them the soil can supply. However, as a general recommendation, one could apply 120 kg N, 60 kg P₂O₅ and 40 kg K₂O per hectare for hybrids and 80 kg N and 30 kg P ₂0₅ and 20 kg K₂O per hectare for composites.