Nabin Rawal, Keshab Raj Pande, Renuka Shrestha, Shree Prasad Vista

Nutrient Use Efficiency Indices in Maize Hybrid as A Function of Various Rates of NPK in Mid Hills of Nepal

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate yield and nutrient use efficiency in maize in response to various rates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in silty clay loam soil of Khumaltar, Nepal during 2019 and 2020. Three factorial randomized complete block designs with 27 treatment combinations were used in experiments, which were repeated three times. Three factors were N levels (150, 180, 210 N kg ha-1), P levels (40, 60, 80 P2O5 kg ha-1), and K levels (40, 60, 80 K2O kg ha-1). The results recommend to revise fertilizer dose since N210 kg ha-1 and K2O 80 kg/ha were optimum for increased maize production with grain yields of 10.95 t ha-1 and 10.54 t ha-1, respectively. Partial factor productivity, partial nutrient budget, internal efficiency, physiological efficiency, recovery efficiency, and agronomic efficiency of NPK for hybrid maize were mostly influenced by nutrient levels. Application of higher rate of P and K fertilizer improved maize N efficiencies, and case was valid for P and K efficiencies. Maize was more responsive to N and K fertilizer and lower rate of P application limited efficient use of applied N and K. To increase overall NUE, we recommend to revise dose of fertilizer for hybrid maize under mid hill condition of Nepal

PDF

___

Adhikary BH, Adhikary R. 2013. Enhancing effect of nitrogen on grain production of hybrid maize in Chitwan valley. Agronomy Journal of Nepal. 3:33-41.
Ahmad M, Riaz A, Ishaque M, Malik AU. 2009. Response of maize hybrids to varying potassium application in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 46(3):179-184.
Amado TJC, Villalba EOH, Bortolotto RP, Nora DD, Bragagnolo J, León EAB. 2017. Yield and nutritional efficiency of corn in response to rates and splits of nitrogen fertilization. Revista Ceres. 64(4):351-359.
Asghar A, Ali A, Syed WH, Asif M, Khaliq T, Abid AA. 2010. Growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars affected by NPK application in different proportion. Pakistan journal of Science. 62(4):211-216.
Banerjee H, Goswami R, Chakraborty S, Dutta S, Majumdar K, Satyanarayana T, Jat ML, Zingore S. 2014. Understanding biophysical and socio-economic determinants of maize (Zea mays L.) yield variability in eastern India. NJAS- Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences. 70:79-93.
Baral BR, Pokhrel KR, Pandit NR, Thapa SB, Gaihre YK, & Vista SP. 2020. Deep placement of briquetted urea increases agronomic and economic efficiency of maize in sandy loam soil. AGRIVITA, Journal of Agricultural Science. 42(3).
Bolland MDA, Gilkes RJ. 1998. The chemistry and agronomic effectiveness of phosphate fertilisers. In ‘Nutrient use in crop production’. (Ed. Z Rengel). 139–163.
Brar MS, Bijay-Singh Bansal SK, Srinivasarao Ch. 2011. Role of Potassium Nutrition in Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Cereals. Research Findings: e-ifc No. 29.
Bremner JM. 1996. Nitrogen‐total. Methods of soil analysis: Part 3 Chemical methods 5:1085-1121.
Brennan RF, Bolland MDA. 2009. Comparing the nitrogen and potassium requirements of canola and wheat for yield and grain quality. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 32(12):2008-2026.
Bukhsh MAAHA, Ahmad R, Iqbal J, Maqbool MM, Ali A, Ishaque M, Hussain S. 2012. Nutritional and physiological significance of potassium application in maize hybrid crop production. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition. 11(2):187.
Chien SH, Teixeira LA, Cantarella H, Rehm GW, Grant CA, Gearhart MM. 2016. Agronomic effectiveness of granular nitrogen/phosphorus fertilizers containing elemental sulfur with and without ammonium sulfate: A review. Agronomy Journal. 108(3):1203-1213.
Coelho AM, de França GE, Pitta GVE, Alves VMC, Hernani LC. 2008. Fertilidade de solos: nutrição e adubação do milho. Embrapa Milho e Sorgo-Capítulo em livro científico (ALICE)
Delve RJ, Probert ME, Cobo JG, Ricaurte J, Rivera M, Barrios E, Rao IM. 2009. Simulating phosphorus responses in annual crops using APSIM: model evaluation on contrasting soil types. Nutrient cycling in agroecosystems. 84(3):293-306.
Dhillon, J., Torres, G., Driver, E., Figueiredo, B., Raun, W. R. 2017. World phosphorus use efficiency in cereal crops. Agronomy Journal 109(4): 1670-1677.
Dobermann A. 2007. Nutrient use efficiency – measurement and management. In “IFA International Workshop on Fertilizer Best Management Practices”, Brussels, Belgium 1-28.
Dobermann, A., Cassman, K. G. 2005. Cereal area and nitrogen use efficiency are drivers of future nitrogen fertilizer consumption. Science in China Series C: Life Sciences 48(2): 745-758.
Dobermann A, Ping JL, Adamchuk VI, Simbahan GC, Ferguson RB. 2003. Classification of crop yield variability in irrigated production fields. Agronomy Journal. 95(5):1105-1120.
Duan Y, Xu M, Gao S, Yang X, Huang S, Liu H, Wang B. 2014. Nitrogen use efficiency in a wheat–corn cropping system from 15 years of manure and fertilizer applications. Field Crops Research. 157:47-56.
Fixen P, Brentrup F, Bruulsema T, Garcia F, Norton R, Zingore S. 2015. Nutrient/fertilizer use efficiency: measurement, current situation and trends. Managing water and fertilizer for sustainable agricultural intensification. 270.
Fixen PE. 2010. The four rights within a global fertilizer best managament practices framework. Boas praticas para uso eficiente de fertilizantes. Piracicaba, International Plant Nutrition Institute. 01-22.
Fosu-Mensah BY, Mensah M. 2016. The effect of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers on grain yield, nutrient uptake and use efficiency of two maize (Zea mays L.) varieties under rain fed condition on Haplic Lixisol in the forest-savannah transition zone of Ghana. Environmental Systems Research. 5(1):1-17
Ghosh BN, Singh RJ, Mishra PK. 2015 Soil and input management options for increasing nutrient use efficiency. Nutrient use efficiency: from basics to advances. 17-27.
Gomez KA, Gomez AA. 1984. Statistical procedures for agricultural research. 2nd Ed. John Wiley & Sons, New York.
Goshu TA, Gissa DW, Dalessa TD. 2019. Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Yield of Maize Varieties as affected by Nitrogen rate in Mid Altitude Areas of Western Ethiopia. 2019020239 (doi: 10.20944/preprints201902.0239.v1)
Huang, P., Zhang, J., Zhu, A., Li, X., Ma, D., Xin, X., ... & Pereira, E. I. P. (2018). Nitrate accumulation and leaching potential reduced by coupled water and nitrogen management in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. Science of the Total Environment, 610, 1020-1028.
Jackson ML. 1973. Methods of chemical analysis. Prentic Hall., EngleWood Cliffs, NTJ. Jordan-Meille L, Pellerin S. 2008. Shoot and root growth of hydroponic maize (Zea mays L.) as influenced by K deficiency. Plant and Soil. 304(1):157-168.
Keeney DR. 1982. Nitrogen management for maximum efficiency and minimum pollution. Nitrogen in agricultural soils. 22:605-649.
Khalili A, Dhar S, Dass A, Ahmad Faiz M, Varghese E. 2018. Agronomic indices of nitrogen use efficiency and maize yield response to various rates, time of application and their interaction effect in Kandahar region of Afghanistan.
Agronomic indices of nitrogen use efficiency and maize yield response. Annals of Agricultural Research. 39(4):347-353. Khatri-Chhetri TB. 1991. Introduction to soils and soil fertility. Tribhuvan University, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal.
Kurwakumire N, Chikowo R, Mtambanengwe F, Mapfumo P, Snapp S, Johnston A, Zingore S. 2014. Maize productivity and nutrient and water use efficiencies across soil fertility domains on smallholder farms in Zimbabwe. Field Crops Research. 164:136-147.
Ladha JK, Pathak H, Krupnik TJ, Six J, van Kessel C. 2005. Efficiency of fertilizer nitrogen in cereal production: retrospects and prospects. Advances in agronomy. 87:85-156.
Ladha JK, Tirol-Padre A, Reddy CK, Cassman KG, Verma S, Powlson DS, Van Kessel C, Richter DDB, Chakraborty D, Pathak H. 2016. Global nitrogen budgets in cereals: A 50-year assessment for maize, rice and wheat production systems. Scientific reports 6(1):1-9.
Liaqat W, Jan MF, Ahmad H, Khan EH, Khan N, Rehan W. 2018. Impact of mineral potassium on phenology, growth and yield of maize hybrid. International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources. 8(5):168-171.
Liu X, He P, Jin J, Zhou W, Sulewski G, Phillips S. 2011. Yield gaps, indigenous nutrient supply, and nutrient use efficiency of wheat in China. Agronomy journal. 103(5):1452-1463.
Minjian C, Haiqiu Y, Hongkui Y, Chunji J. 2007. Difference in tolerance to potassium deficiency between two maize inbred lines. Plant Production Science. 10(1):42-46.
Nemati AR, Sharifi RS. 2012. Effects of rates and nitrogen application timing on yield, agronomic characteristics and nitrogen use efficiency in corn. International Journal of Agriculture and Crop Sciences (IJACS). 4(9):534-539.
Niaz A, Yaseen M, Arshad M, Ahmad R. 2015. Response of maize yield, quality and nitrogen use efficiency indices to different rates and application timings. Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences. 25(4):1022-1031.
Nyamangara J, Bergström LF, Piha MI, Giller KE. 2003. Fertilizer use efficiency and nitrate leaching in a tropical sandy soil. Journal of environmental quality. 32(2):599-606.
Pathak H, Singh Y, Singh B. 2003. Site-specific nutrient management for improving the productivity of rice-wheat cropping system. In Nutrient Management for Sustainable Rice-wheat Cropping System, 79–98 (Eds Y. Singh, B. Singh, V. K. Nayyar, and J. Singh). New Delhi, India: National Agricultural Technology Project, Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
Potash and Phosphate Institute (PPI). 2003. Effect of Foliar applied monopotassium phosphate on high yielding Canola and Wheat Grown in Southern Manitoba.
Raun WR, Johnson G. 1999. Improving nitrogen use efficiency for cereal production. Agronomy Journal. 91(3):357-363.
Ray K, Banerjee H, Bhattacharyya K, Dutta S, Phonglosa A, Pari A, Sarkar S. 2017. Site-specific nutrient management for hybrids in an inceptisol of West Bengal, India. Exp. Agric. 54:874–887.
Rehman A, Saleem MF, Safdar ME, Hussain S, Akhtar N. 2011. Grain quality, nutrient use efficiency, and bioeconomics of maize under different sowing methods and NPK levels. Chilean journal of agricultural research. 71(4):586.
Rutkowska A, Pikuła D, Stępień W. 2014. Nitrogen use efficiency of maize and spring barley under potassium fertilization in long-term field experiment. Plant, Soil and Environment. 60(12):550-554.
Seadh SE, Attia AN, El-Moursy SA, Said EM, El-azab AAS. 2013. Productivity of maize as affected by organic, foliar and nitrogen fertilization levels. World Research Journal of Agronomy. 2(1):30-36.
Sharifi RS, Namvar A. 2016. Effects of time and rate of nitrogen application on phenology and some agronomical traits of maize (Zea mays L.). Biologija. 62(1).
Smil V. 2000. Phosphorus in the environment: natural flows and human interferences. Annual review of energy and the environment. 25(1):53-88.
Smil V. 2002. Nitrogen and food production: proteins for human diets. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment. 31(2):126-131.
Snyder CS, Bruulsema TW. 2007. Nutrient use efficiency and effectiveness in North America. Publ. Int. Plant Nutr. Inst. IPNI. Steel RGD, Torrie JH, Dicky DA. 1997. Principles and Procedures of Statistics, A Biometrical Approach. 3rd
Edition, McGraw Hill, Inc. Book Co., New YorkSyers, J. K., Johnston, A. E., & Curtin, D. (2008). Efficiency of soil and fertilizer phosphorus use. FAO Fertilizer and plant nutrition bulletin, 18(108).
Tadesse T, Assefa A, Liben M, Tadesse Z. 2013. Effects of nitrogen split-application on productivity, nitrogen use efficiency and economic benefits of maize production in Ethiopia. International Journal of Agricultural Policy and Research. 1(4):109-115.
Tetarwal JP, Ram B, Meena DS. 2011. Effect of integrated nutrient management on productivity, profitability, nutrient uptake and soil fertility in rainfed maize (Zea mays). Indian journal of Agronomy. 56(4):373-376.
Thomison PR, Geyer AB, Bishop BL, Young JR, Lentz E. 2004. Nitrogen fertility effects on grain yield, protein, and oil of corn hybrids with enhanced grain quality traits. Crop Management. 3(1):1-7.
Uribelarrea M, Crafts-Brandner SJ, Below FE. 2009. Physiological N response of field-grown maize hybrids (Zea mays L.) with divergent yield potential and grain protein concentration. Plant and soil. 316(1):151-160.
Xu C, Huang S, Tian B, Ren J, Meng Q, Wang P. 2017. Manipulating planting density and nitrogen fertilizer application to improve yield and reduce environmental impact in Chinese maize production. Frontiers in plant science. 8:1234.
Xu X, He P, Pampolino MF, Johnston AM, Qiu S, Zhao S, Chuan L, Zhou W. 2014 Fertilizer recommendation for maize in China based on yield response and agronomic efficiency. Field Crops Research. 157:27-34