Osama Hatta⁽¹⁾ Ghiath Alloush^*(2) and Rabee Zainah(1)

(1). Lattakia Research Center, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research GCSAR, Damascus, Syria.

(2). Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, University of Tishreen, Latakia, Syria. 

(*Cprresponding author: Dr. Ghiath Alloush. E-Mail: galloush@scs-net.org).

Received: 17/01/2020                               Accepted: 04/04/2020

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in calcareous soil (CaCO₃ = 49.7%) during 2018 season at Stkheres Research Station in Lattakia to study the effect of humates (0 and 25 kg K-humate/ha) on the response of maize crop (Tango hybrid) to TSP application (0 – 30 – 60 – 90 – 120 and 240 kg/ha). The experiment therefore consisted of 12 treatments with three replicates, and plots were completely randomized. Growth and P uptake were followed on complete selected plants 56 and 101 days from sowing, corresponding to VT and V6 of maize phonological stages. At harvest (after 101 days), productivity of grain yield and straw were measured and some efficiency parameters related to growth. Also, P uptake and productivity were calculated. Maize plants produced the highest dry matter in non-humic treatments at VT stage in the treatment P5H0 (115.1g/plant), which was not significantly different compared to the second TSP application rate in the presence of humate (treatment P2H1=112 g/plant). The analysis of variance showed a highly significant effect for both phosphate and humates applications on relative grain yield increase (RGYI), which increased in P3H0 treatment by 21.5% and in P3H1 treatment by 28.1%. Humate application did not provide a significant impact on the phosphate utilization efficiency.

Keyword: Phosphate fertilizer TSP, Potassium humate, Zea mays, Calcareous soil.

Full paper in Arabic: PDF