Effect of Organic Amendments and Inorganic Fertilizers on Agronomic Traits and Yield of Corn

Use of inorganic or chemical fertilizers and organic amendments are required in the agricultural systems for increasing the crop yields. The abuse in the use of chemical fertilizers has caused an increase in the soil and water contamination; however, the application of organic amendments improves the soil characteristics causing increase in plant growth and yield. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of sole organic amendments and combined with inorganic fertilizers on the agronomic traits and yield of corn. The experiment was conducted in field conditions under pressurized irrigation in Tecomán, Colima, México. Six treatments were evaluated, sole organic amendments were: bovine manure, sugarcane molasses, and vermicompost, and the combined treatments included the formula 150-50-00 Kg of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, respectively. Organic amendments were applied in a dose of 8 ton/ha. The treatments were distributed in a Complete Randomized Blocks Design with four replications. Our results showed highly significant differences in combined treatments, single effects, and their interactions  in plant height, ear equatorial diameter, ear length, ear grain yield, and grain yield/ha. The application of vermicompost combined with inorganic fertilizers showed the most significant results in all the agronomic traits and grain yield evaluated, producing 0.218 Kg, and 13.8 ton/ha in ear grain yield, and yield/ha, respectively. Our results sustain the integration of inorganic and organic fertilization to improve corn yields.

KEY WORDS: Zea mays L., soil fertilization, soil amendments, biological soil amendments.