Is fertilizers application important for maize?
Maize is very sensitive to the deficiency of plant nutrients. Hence, maize is considered to be a test plant for identifying the availability of many nutrients. Maize crop should have a continuous supply of nitrogen at all stages of growth till grain formation. Nitrogen deficiency in maize plants even in the early stages of growth will reduce the yields substantially. Young maize plants need higher amounts of phosphorus in the early stages. There after contribution of phosphorus through fertilizers decreases rapidly though plants take up phosphorus up to near maturity. Maize utilizes large quantities of potassium from knee-high stage to post flowering. So top dressing potassium fertilizers can correct any deficiency of potassium observed in the early stages.
