Effects of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizers on the Yield of Maize (Zea mays L.) at Nedjo, West Wollega, Ethiopia

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to determine the optimum levels of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizer formaize production; and to see the interaction between different levels of N and P fertilizer on the growth andperformance of maize (Zea mays L.) BH-660 variety at Nedjo. The experiment had two factor: 5 levels of N (0,46, 92, 138, and 184 kg ha-1) and 5 levels of P (0, 23, 46, 69 and 92 kg ha-1) arranged in Randomized CompleteBlock Design (RCBD) with three replications. The sources of N and P were urea (46% N) and triple superphosphate (TSP) (46% P2O5), respectively. The main effects of N and P brought significant effect on thousandgrain weight. The interactions of N and P also significantly affected grain, and biomass yield; and harvest index.The highest grain yield (5497.5 kg ha-1) and biomass yield (16521 kg ha-1) were recorded at the highest rates ofN/P (184/92 kg ha-1).Key words: nitrogen, phosphorus, maize NP interaction, Nedjo.