Comparative Effects of Inorganic Fertilizer, Farmyard Manure, Humic Acid, and Their Integrated Application on Growth, Biomass, and Grain Yield of Maize (Zea mays L.)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67244/jai.bwo-researches.v4i3.a268Keywords:
Maize, inorganic fertilizer, organic fertilizer, humic acid, integrated nutrient management, growth parameters, biomassAbstract
Integrated nutrient management can combine complementary nutrient sources to improve crop growth and productivity. The present study evaluated the comparative effects of inorganic fertilizer, farmyard manure (FYM), humic acid, and their integrated application on maize (Zea mays L.) growth, biomass accumulation, and grain yield under controlled pot conditions. A pot experiment was conducted at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, using five treatments and three replications in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD).The pot diameter was 26cm and 50cm depth. Each pot, with a surface area of 26cm, was filled with 18 kg of clay loamy soil. A representative soil sample was collected and analyzed. The soil was characterized as sandy loam, with an EC of 1.21 dS m⁻¹, available phosphorus of 17.84 mg kg⁻¹, extractable potassium of 30 mg kg⁻¹, and saturation percentage of 27%. The treatments were T₁ (control), T₂ (inorganic fertilizer), T₃ (FYM), T₄ (humic acid), and T₅ (integrated application of inorganic fertilizer, FYM, and humic acid). Plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, leaf area index (LAI), root fresh and dry weight, stem fresh and dry weight, and grain yield were evaluated. Significant treatment effects were observed for the measured growth and biomass variables. The integrated treatment (T₅) produced the highest LAI (10.33), root fresh weight (1438.5 kg ha⁻¹ equivalent), root dry weight (1011.3 kg ha⁻¹ equivalent), stem fresh weight (4120.7 kg ha⁻¹ equivalent), stem dry weight (1281.4 kg ha⁻¹ equivalent), and grain yield (3165.9 kg ha⁻¹ equivalent). Grain yield under T₅ was approximately 28% higher than the unfertilized control and 5% higher than the sole inorganic fertilizer treatment. These findings indicate that integrated application of inorganic fertilizer, FYM, and humic acid improved maize growth and productivity under the conditions of this pot experiment. Field-scale validation across soils and agro ecological environments is required before broader fertilizer recommendations are made.
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