Mini Project

Objective
1. To asses the effects of increasing rates of nitrogen fertilizer application on
the seedling height, dry matter yield and leaf area of maize.
Materials
Polythene bags
Fertilizer (Urea, Rock phosphate (RP) and muriate of potash (MOP))
Top soil
Sand
Peat
Maize seeds
Procedure
1. Each group (6 students) was provided with 24 maize (Zea mays L.) seeds.
For our group the nutrient study chosen was nitrogen.
Nitrogen study
Source of nitrogen: Urea fertilizer (46% N)
Treatments: 0, 36, 60 snd 90 kg N/ha x 2 replicates
In all bags, apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer at a constant rate of:
20 kg P2O5 /ha (source of phosphorus: RP (38% P2O5)
55 kg K2O /ha (source of potassium: MOP (60% K2O)
2. The experiment design will be a completely randomized (CRD), initiated on
four (4) treatments and two (2) replicates. This gives a total of 8
experimental units (polythene bags).
3. The soil was mixed with sand and peat in the ratio of 1: 2: 0.5 (1 top soil: 2
sand : 0.5 peat), and the soil-mixture was mixed thoroughly. The soilmixture was palced into 8 polythene bags and the polythene bags was
filled to almost full.
4. Three (3) maize seeds was placed(at 1 cm depth) in each polythene bags.
The polythene bags was labelled according to their treatments and
replicates and water them (polybags of seedlings) daily.
5. Following plant emergence (when the coleoptile is visible), the fertilizer
treatments was apply.
How to calculate fertilizer?
Step 1
Determine the nutrient rate. Eg. 30 kg N/ha.
Step 2
Determine the fertilizer to be used. In this case, urea which contains 46 %
N.
Step 3

Determine the area to be fertilized. Eg. If you have a polythene bag which
measures:
10x10x15cm: How do you apply 30kg N/ha into this area?
Answer
Area to be fertilized: 0.1 m x 0.1 m =0.01m 2
1ha = 100m x 100m=10000 m2
Urea contains 46%N, which means:
100kg urea
46 kg N
?
30 kg N

100 kg 30 kg 0.01m2

1000=0.065 g
46 kg
10000 m2

6. The observations on the growing plants, number of leaves developing per

plant was recorded and make observations on plants health, such as color,
or damage due to pests and disease as shown in table 1.
Note: The time of plant emergence was observed and recorded. Seedlings are
considered emerged when the coleoptile had emerged out of the soil.
7. The polythene bags was placed under exposure of sunlight. Plant height
and leaf number was recorded at weekly interval. The plants were
harvested on the 21st April 2016 (~30 days after sowing), and the leaf
area were measured by using a graph paper. Then, the plants were dried
under sunlight for 48 hours and the dry weight was recorded using an
electronic scale.