Assessment of Agronomic and Economic Benefits of Fertilizer Use in Maize Production Systems under Variable Farm Size, Climate and Soil Fertility Conditions in Odisha

Maize, though gaining popularity among the farmers of Odisha, the full benefits of growing maize were not achieved due to improper input management, particularly nutrients. Small farm size, variable farmer management practices, lack of fertilizer recommendations tailoring to farm size considering farmer resources were some of the constraints. A study aimed at delineating farmer typologies based on land holding, annual income and crop yields was carried out, to develop farmer resource based fertilizer recommendations and ensure better adoption of improved nutrient management for higher crop yields and farm profit.