Full Length Research Paper
Abstract
The ever increasing price of nitrogenous (N) fertilizers coupled with the deleteriouseffects of imbalanced N fertilizers on the environment necessitates theenhancement of N use efficiency of plants. The objectives of this study were to: (1)Evaluate the uptake of selected nutrients due to application of liquid organic-Nfertilizers and (2) determine the efficiency of the formulated fertilizers in Zea mayscultivation in an acid soil. Liquid organic-N fertilizers with different sources of humic molecules were evaluated. The treatments were applied at 10 and 20 days after sowing (DAS) of corn. Plant and soil samples were collected at 54 DAS (tasselingstage) and analyzed for N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Na. The use of liquid organic-Nfertilizer increased N content in leaf, stem and roots. The fertilizer with Fulvic acids(FA) increased N uptake and use efficiency. It also improved exchangeable Ca andMg in soil solution. No significant difference was observered for soil exchangeableK. It can be concluded that the use of organic substances could enhance Nuptake and N use efficiency of corn.
Key words: Humic acids, fulvic acids, liquid fertilizers, nitrogen use efficiency,nutrient uptake, corn.
Abbreviation
DAS, Days after sowing; SOC, soil organic carbon; CEC, cationexchange capacity; HA, humic acid; FA, fulvic acids.
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