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Improvement of Maize and Soybean (Chickpea) Mineral Nutrition on a Calcareous Common Chernozem

Ecological Intensification is compared with grower fertilizer practice in maize–soybean (chickpea since 2015) crop rotation at the A-site. Crop response to N is studied in both systems too. Actual aspects of maize nutrition are studied simultaneously at the C-site.

IPNI-2011-RUS-GM41

Overview Related Article
21 Feb 2012

Project Description


The Global Maize project was initiated in 2011 in Rostov Oblast, Southern Russia, on a common chernozem. Maize-soybean crop rotation was studied at the A-site in 2011-2014 and since 2015 it was changed to maize-chickpea rotation. The A-site has two experimental areas that allowed both crops in rotation to be grown each season.
The following four fertilizer treatments are applied to maize (P2O5 and K2O are indicated):
    1) N9P40 applied in spring before planting (Farmer Practice N0);
    2) N30P40 applied in spring before planting (Farmer Practice N);
    3) N17P70K40 including N12P50K20 applied in spring before planting and N5P20К20 applied at planting 2 cm to the side of the seed (Ecological Intensification N0);
    4) N85P70K40 including N50P50K20 applied in spring before planting, N5P20К20 applied at planting 2 cm to the side of the seed and N30 side-dressed in the V3-V5 stage (Ecological Intensification N).
Seed coating with zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) is done in Ecological Intensification treatments.
Four fertilizer treatments for soybean were as follows:
    1) N9P40 (Farmer Practice);
    2) N20P40 (Farmer Practice N);
    3) N10P45К30 (Ecological Intensification N0);
    4) N30P45К30 (Ecological Intensification N).
Fertilizers were applied in spring before planting. Seed inoculation (1st growing season) and treatment with Mo were done in Ecological Intensification treatments.
Four fertilizer treatments for chickpea are as follows:
    1) N6P26 (Farmer Practice);
    2) N24P26 (Farmer Practice N);
    3) N12P52К30 (Ecological Intensification N0);
    4) N24P52К30 (Ecological Intensification N).
Fertilizers are applied in spring before planting. Seed inoculation and treatment with Mo are done in Ecological Intensification treatments.

Maize C-site was designed to study the following major aspects:
    1) Crop response to nutrients (N, P, and K omission plots in 2011-2015);
    2) Comparing K fertilizer broadcasting with starter application at a lower rate (2014-2016);
    3) Crop response to S application (2015-2016);
    4) Crop response to increasing N rates (2016-2017);
    5) Crop response to both S and Zn application (2017).

Measurements in field experiments include: weather data for Hybrid Maize model, initial soil fertility status and its changes, 1000 grain weight of maize, grain yield, protein content in soybean and chickpea seeds, dry matter accumulation and nutrient removal in the harvested and unharvested portion of crops.