Evaluating The Efficacy of Slow-Release Fertiliser on Growth Performance for One Time Fertilisation of Sweet Corn
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53797/agrotech.v4i2.3.2025Keywords:
control release fertiliser, plant growth, crop yield, sweet cornAbstract
Excessive use of fertilisers to boost crop productivity often leads to nutrient loss and environmental degradation. Inefficient fertilizer use and insufficient agricultural labour also become an obstacle for sweet corn production especially in the highland area. To improve the efficiency of inorganic fertiliser, the use of control-release fertiliser (CRF) is designed to minimise nutrient loss into soil. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of control release fertiliser on growth and yield performance of sweet corn in a field experiment. The experiment was arranged in a randomized completely block design with four replications and five treatments. T1: control, T2: NPK 15:15:15, applied in three splits at 15, 30 and 40 days (75 gram per plant (g/plant)); T3: CRF at 3g/plant, 15 days after transplanting (DAT), T4: CRF at 4 g/plant, 15 DAT and T5: CRF at 5 g/plant, 15DAT. The results indicated that control release treatment performed comparably to conventional fertilisers in promoting vegetative growth, despite requiring only a single application. Notably, T4 produced significantly higher yield, 35.5% greater than the conventional fertilisers. These findings demonstrate that control release fertiliser can enhance corn productivity while reducing labor inputs and application frequency, offering more efficient and sustainable alternatives for fertiliser management in high land areas.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Noorsuhaila Abu Bakar, Haryati Mansor, Theeba Manickam, Rahayu Anang, Mohd Hadi Akbar Basri
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