Agbesi Kwadzo Keteku, Pumisak Intanon, and Suwat Terapongtanakorn

DOI: 10.14456/sjst-psu.2021.142

pp. 1078 - 1085

Abstract

The impact of seven treatments; control (no lime and fertilizer), Ultragreen, Calcium carbonate powder (CaCO₃),
Ultragreen + NPK (15-15-15), CaCO₃ + NPK, Ultragreen + Chemical and granular organic fertilizer with hormone mixed
formula (HO) and CaCO₃ + HO were investigated on the physicochemical and biological properties of an acidic soil, as well and
maize growth and yield in a two years experiment (2017-2018) at Phitsanulok province, Thailand. The results showed that the
highest average plant height (272.50 cm) was produced by Ultragreen + NPK, while leaf area at flowering and total dry matter
weight (273.15 dm²
and 277.40 g, respectively) were produced by Ultragreen + HO treatment. Cob weight/plant (429.25 g), grain
number/cob (584.38), grain weight/cob (268.75 g), 100 seeds weight (47.66 g) and grain yield (1681.25 kg/rai; rai = 0.16 ha)
over the two years were also highest under Ultragreen + HO nourishment, followed by CaCO₃ + HO. The highest grain crude
protein (8.15% and 8.13%, respectively) were observed in Ultragreen + HO and Ultragreen + NPK. After the trial, soil fertility
and microbial population have improved, the residual soil N increased from 0.374% to 0.845% in Ultragreen + HO compared to
the control, while soil pH improved from 4.3 to a range of 5.8-6.0. Our results revealed that the combination of Ultragreen + HO
and CaCO₃ + HO produced the greatest output and are recommended.