Nutrient Management and Optimized Fertilization on Maize in Heilongjiang Province

Maize field experiments were conducted in Bin County and Zhaoyuan County, Heilongjiang Province, to study the effect of balanced use of NPK fertilizer integrated with S, Zn, and B nutrition within an optimum (OPT) treatment providing 165-58-75-135-25-8 kg N-P₂O₅-K₂O-gypsum-zinc sulfate-boric acid/ha.

Results found the check (with no fertilizer) and farmer practice (FP) treatments to seriously affect crop growth, dry weight of aboveground biomass, and yield. Yields from nutrient omission and FP plots were all lower than the OPT plots. The OPT-N, OPT-P, OPT-K treatments were 2,118, 1,087, and 1,201 kg/ha, or 20%, 10%, and 11% lower that the OPT, respectively. In turn, net income for the N, P, and K omission plots were USD 376, 187, and 201//ha lower than the OPT. Yields with OPT-S, OPT-Zn treatments were 565 and 943 kg/ha lower than the OPT. Therefore, the impact of their omission was not as significant as omitting N, P, or K. The OPT treatment increased yield by 1,285 kg/ha above FP, and increased net income by USD 232/ha. In conclusion, N plays the most important role in improving corn yield in Heilongjiang, followed by P, K, and Zn. Heilongjiang-NMBF