Integrated Nutrient Management in Corn Production: Symbiosis for Food Security and Grower’s Income in Arid and Semiarid Climates
Soil fertility and corn productivity is continuously declining due to removal of essential
plant nutrients from the soils. The deficiencies of essential plant nutrients, organic matter, and beneficial soil microbes in soils had negative impact on soil fertility, corn productivity, and grower’s income, which has increased the problem of food insecurity under arid and semiarid climates. Best management practices including the proper use of plant nutrients increase (1) soil fertility and health, (2) yield per unit area, and (3) grower’s income (profitability). Our long-term field experiments on maize crop indicated that a significant increase in yield per unit area occurred with the integrated nutrient management (combined use of chemical fertilizers + organic fertilizers + biofertilizers). The integrated use of major plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash) along with different organic carbon sources (animal manures and plant residues) plus biofertilizers (beneficial microbes) significantly improves maize growth, yield and yield components, and grower’s income.
Amanullah and S. Fahad. 2018. Integrated Nutrient Management in Corn Production: Symbiosis for Food Security and Grower’s Income in Arid and Semiarid Climates. In: Amanullah and Shah Fahad (eds.). Corn - Production and Human Health in Changing Climate. InTech, London, UK. Pp: 03-12.
Integrated Nutrient Management in Corn Production: Symbiosis for Food Security and Grower’s Income in Arid and Semiarid Climates
Soil fertility and corn productivity is continuously declining due to removal of essential
plant nutrients from the soils. The deficiencies of essential plant nutrients, organic matter, and beneficial soil microbes in soils had negative impact on soil fertility, corn productivity, and grower’s income, which has increased the problem of food insecurity under arid and semiarid climates. Best management practices including the proper use of plant nutrients increase (1) soil fertility and health, (2) yield per unit area, and (3) grower’s income (profitability). Our long-term field experiments on maize crop indicated that a significant increase in yield per unit area occurred with the integrated nutrient management (combined use of chemical fertilizers + organic fertilizers + biofertilizers). The integrated use of major plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash) along with different organic carbon sources (animal manures and plant residues) plus biofertilizers (beneficial microbes) significantly improves maize growth, yield and yield components, and grower’s income.
Amanullah and S. Fahad. 2018. Integrated Nutrient Management in Corn Production: Symbiosis for Food Security and Grower’s Income in Arid and Semiarid Climates. In: Amanullah and Shah Fahad (eds.). Corn - Production and Human Health in Changing Climate. InTech, London, UK. Pp: 03-12.