FEASIBILITY OF REPLACING CHEMICAL FERTILIZER BY ORGANIC FERTILIZER IN MAIZE PRODUCTION

Abstract

Present research work was conducted at the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka during the period from November 2011 to April 2012 to study the feasibility of replacing chemical fertilizer by organic fertilizer in maize production. The experiment comprised 10 different treatments with organic manure and inorganic fertilizer and their combinations viz., T0: Control (without fertilizer), T1: All chemical fertilizer (recommended dose), T2: Cowdung (Recommended dose), T3: Compost (recommended dose), T4: ½ Compost + ½ Cowdung, T5: Full cowdung + Full compost, T6: Full cowdung + ½ Chemical fertilizer, T7: Full compost + ½ Chemical fertilizer, T8: Full cowdung + Full compost + ½ Chemical fertilizer, T9: ½ Cowdung + ½ Compost + ½ Chemical fertilizer on growth and yield performance of maize variety of BARI hybrid bhutta 9. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The highest number of cob plant-1 (1.67), cob length (22.27 cm), cob diameter (14.12 cm), no. of grains cob-1 (531.90), weight of 1000 grain (305.30 g), grain yield (11.75 t ha-1) and stover yield (13.97 t ha-1) were obtained from T1. The treatments T7, T8 and T9 also showed statistically similar results in respect of yield and yield contributing characters. As T9 treatment had ½ Cowdung + ½ Compost + ½ Chemical fertilizers combination which would incur least cost along with soil improvement might be suggested to be followed in maize production.