EFFECT OF NEXT GENERATION FERTILIZER PRODUCTS ON GROWTH AND YIELDS OF DIFFERENT CROPS

Abstract

To reduce the existing yield gap between research and farmer’s field, three separate experiments were carried out during the period from March, 2014 to June, 2015 at the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. To evaluate the effects of next generation fertilizers along with other recommended fertilizers on the growth, yield and soil chemical properties, the research was conducted based on selected maize, tomato and rice varieties. The experiments were laid out in RCBD method with three replications. The first experiment was conducted on maize in kharif season with eight treatments including control viz. T 0 = control (no fertilizer), T 1 = recommended dose N 250 P 50 K 100 S 25 Zn = American NPK + N 250 P 50 K 100 S 25 Zn 2 B 1 , T 3 = Bio-forge + N 250 P 50 K 100 S 25 Zn = Wuxal + N B 250 1 P 50 and T K 7 100 S 25 Zn 2 B 1 , T = Nitro Plus + N 5 = Peak + N 250 P 50 K 250 100 S P 50 25 K Zn 100 2 S B 25 1 Zn 2 B 1 , T 6 = Root Feed + N 2 2 B B 250 and three maize varieties namely V = BARI Hybrid Bhutta-5 , V 2 = BARI Hybrid Bhutta-6 & V = BARI Hybrid Bhutta-9. Growth and yield contributing characters mainly plant height, cob length, cob weight, 100-kernel weight and kernel yield of maize crop were significantly influenced by the next generation fertilizers. Bio-forge along with other recommended fertilizers performed the best compared to other treatments of the study in aspect of kernel yield (5.95 tha -1 3 ) and statistically similar result showed by Root feed along with other recommended fertilizers and produced 5.12 tha -1 kernel yield. Among the varieties, BARI Hybrid Bhutta-9 performed the best compared to other two varieties. The second experiment was conducted on tomato in rabi season with six treatments including control viz. T

= control (no fertilizer), T 1 = recommended dose N 140 P 35 K 75 S 15 Zn 2 B 1 kg ha -1 = Bio-forge + N 140 Zn 2 P B 35 1 K , T 75 5 S 15 Zn 2 B 1 , T 3 =Wuxal Super + N = Nitro Plus + N 140 P 35 K 75 S 15 Zn 140 2 B P 1 35 K 75 S 15 Zn 2 B 1 , T 4 , T 1 1 kg ha ,T P 2 = Root Feed + N and three tomato varieties namely V = BARI Tomato-2, V 2 = BARI Tomato-14 & V = BARI Tomato-15. Among the next generation fertilizers, Bio-forge along with other recommended fertilizers performed the best compared to other treatments of the study in aspect of growth and yield contributing characters mainly plant height, flower cluster plant -1 3 , number of fruits cluster -1 , fruit plant -1 4 50 K 100 140 1 1 P and fruit yield (114.43 t ha ). Among the varieties BARI Tomato-14 performed the best compared to other two varietal treatments. The third experiment was conducted in boro rice with six treatments including control viz T 0 = Control (no fertilizer), T 1 =recommended dose N 140 P 20 K 60 S 18 Zn 2 kg ha -1 = Bio-forge + N 140 P 20 K 60 S 18 Zn 2 , T 3 = Wuxal Super + N 140 P 20 K 60 S 18 Zn 2 , T 4 = Root Feed + N

= Nitro Plus + N 140 P 20 K 60 S 18 Zn 2 and three rice varieties namely V 1 , T 140 P 2 20 K = BRRI dhan29, V = BRRI dhan28 & V = BRRI dhan58. Among the next generation fertilizers, Bio-forge along with other recommended fertilizers performed the best compared to other treatments of the study in aspect of growth and yield contributing characters mainly plant height, effective tiller hill 3 , panicle length , filled grain panicle -1 , 1000-grain weight, harvest index and grain yield (8.61 tha ). Among the varieties BRRI dhan29 showed best performance compared to other two treatments. There was no significant variation found for soil pH, organic carbon in postharvest soil of three experimental fields due to application of next generation fertilizers. Available S in maize field, total N content, available P and available S in tomato field and total N content, available P and available S in rice field showed a positive significant change. The next generation fertilizer viz. Bio-forge and Root feed along with other recommended fertilizers would be ideal for better crop growth and yield.