Balanced Fertilization of Major Crops in Egypt

The main objectives of this study were to enhance crop productivity with innovative techniques of fertigation, maximize water and fertilizer use efficiencies, and increase awareness and the transfer of technology for fertigation management. The following treatments were investigated for maize under field conditions at the experimental station of the National Research Centre, Nubaria district of El-Behrea Governorate–Egypt. The treatments of the first experiment are: 1) control with no fertilizer application, 2) recommended rate of N, T3) recommended rate of P, 4) recommended rate of K, 5) recommended rate of NP, 6) recommended rate of NK, 7) recommended rate of NPK, and 8) recommended rate of NPK+micronutrients. The treatments of the second experiment are: 1) control with no fertilizer application, 2) NPK where K source is potassium citrate, 3) NPK where K source is potassium sulfate, and 4) NPK where K source is potassium chloride.

In 2015, the highest maize grain yield was obtained by the balanced fertilization of NPK plus micronutrients that produced 6.85 t/ha. The lowest yield was 4.45 t/ha, which was obtained for the control treatment. As for the second experiment comparing the sources of K, the highest grain yield was obtained with using potassium sulfate that produced 6.42 t/ha. A similar trend was obtained with faba bean as a winter crop. The highest faba bean grain yield was obtained by the balanced fertilization of NPK plus micronutrients that produced 3.28 t/ha. The control treatment had the lowest yield of 2.14 t/ha. As for the second experiment comparing the sources of K, the highest faba bean grain yield was obtained with using potassium sulfate that produced 3.46 t/ha.