Response of field grown hybrid maize to integrated use of inorganic and organic potassium fertilizers

In Pakistan, farming community avoid using potassium (K) fertilizers due to their high cost which results in big yields gaps. This field study was conducted to evaluate the response of hybrid maize to integrated use of inorganic and organic K fertilizers. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with six treatments and three repeats by growing hybrid maize (32F10) at six varying levels of K, i.e. 00-00 (control), 30-00, 00-30, 30- 30, 60-00, 00-60 kg K per ha, supplied through inorganic and/or organic K fertilizer, respectively. The soil under study was heavy in texture, alkaline in nature, free from salinity hazards, low in organic matter and deficient in AB-DTPA extractable K. Potassium application @ 60 kg per ha, either organic or inorganic, was superior to 30 kg per ha in boosting various growth traits of maize crop. The integrated use of K was more effective than single use of K and saved 50% of the chemical K fertilizer. Potassium nutrition enhanced various traits of maize, viz. plant height (2 to 15%), fresh biomass (13 to 60%), cob yield (16 to 76%), grain yield (22 to 83%), 1000 grain weight (2 to 30%), and K concentration (150 to 366%). The K accumulation was highly significantly correlated with all the growth traits and explained the enhancement in grain yield under integrated K nutrition. The study concluded that K application at 60 kg per ha, by integrating organic and inorganic K fertilizers @ 30 kg per ha each, potentially improved the growth and biomass production of maize. Further research is warranted to validate these results.