Version 1
: Received: 4 July 2024 / Approved: 5 July 2024 / Online: 5 July 2024 (09:24:07 CEST)
How to cite:
Iqbal, W.; Khan, A.; Jamal, A.; Radicetti, E.; Elsadek, M. F.; Ali, M. A.; Mancinelli, R. Optimizing Maize Productivity and Soil Health: Insights from Tillage, Nitrogen Management, and Hydrochar Applications. Preprints2024, 2024070497. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0497.v1
Iqbal, W.; Khan, A.; Jamal, A.; Radicetti, E.; Elsadek, M. F.; Ali, M. A.; Mancinelli, R. Optimizing Maize Productivity and Soil Health: Insights from Tillage, Nitrogen Management, and Hydrochar Applications. Preprints 2024, 2024070497. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0497.v1
Iqbal, W.; Khan, A.; Jamal, A.; Radicetti, E.; Elsadek, M. F.; Ali, M. A.; Mancinelli, R. Optimizing Maize Productivity and Soil Health: Insights from Tillage, Nitrogen Management, and Hydrochar Applications. Preprints2024, 2024070497. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0497.v1
APA Style
Iqbal, W., Khan, A., Jamal, A., Radicetti, E., Elsadek, M. F., Ali, M. A., & Mancinelli, R. (2024). Optimizing Maize Productivity and Soil Health: Insights from Tillage, Nitrogen Management, and Hydrochar Applications. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0497.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Iqbal, W., M. Ajmal Ali and Roberto Mancinelli. 2024 "Optimizing Maize Productivity and Soil Health: Insights from Tillage, Nitrogen Management, and Hydrochar Applications" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0497.v1
Abstract
Enhancing soil fertility and maize productivity is crucial for sustainable agriculture. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of tillage practices, nitrogen management strategies, and acidified hydrochar on soil fertility and maize productivity. The experiment used a randomized complete block design with split-split plot arrangement and four replications. Main plots received shallow tillage and deep tillage. Sub-plots were treated with nitrogen (120 kg ha⁻¹) from farmyard manure and urea, including control, 33% FYM + 67% urea (MU), and 80% FYM + 20% urea (MF). Acidified hydrochar treatments H0 (no hydrochar) and H1 (with hydrochar, 2 t ha⁻¹) were applied to sub-sub plots. Deep tillage significantly increased plant height, biological yield, grain yield, ear length, grains ear-1, thousand grain weight, and nitrogen content compared to shallow tillage. MU and MF improved growth parameters and yield over the control. Hydrochar effects varied; H1 enhanced certain yield components but reduced plant height and soil properties compared to H0. Canonical discriminant analysis linked deep tillage and MU/MF nitrogen management with improved yield and soil characteristics. In conclusion, deep tillage combined with integrated nitrogen manage-ment enhances maize productivity and soil health. However, hydrochar application requires op-timization. These findings highlight the importance of selecting appropriate tillage and nitrogen strategies for sustainable maize production. These insights guide policymakers, agronomists, and agricultural extension services in adopting evidence-based strategies for sustainable agriculture, enhancing food production, and mitigating environmental impacts. Future research should in-vestigate long-term impacts across diverse environments to validate these results.
Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
