Determining Appropriate Fertilizer Scheme for Maize and Sorghum Cultivation in the Sahel Agroecological Zone of Cameroon

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate appropriate fertilization schemes to improve the production of maize and sorghum in the Sahel agroecological zone of Cameroon. The experiment was carried out in 2018 at IRAD (Institute of Agricultural Research for Development) Kismatari experimental field. The experimental setup was a complete randomized block design in four replicates and four treatments for each crop. For maize, treatments were: T1 (No input), T2 (100 kg NPK + 100 kg Urea.ha-1), T3 (150 kg NPK + 150 kg Urea.ha-1), and T4 (200 kg NPK + 200 kg Urea.ha-1). For sorghum, treatments were: T1 (No input), T2 (50 kg NPK + 50 kg Urea.ha-1), T3 (100 kg NPK + 100 kg Urea.ha-1), and T4 (150 kg NPK + 150 kg Urea.ha-1). All fertilizer treatments NPK and urea were applied to both crops respectively at 3 and 5 weeks after sowing. Nine weeks after sowing, the plant height was highest at T3, following by T2 and T4 for the two crops. The treatment T1 exhibited the lowest grain yield while T2 and T3 showed intermediate grain yield. The treatment T4 produced the highest biomass, number of ears.plant-1, and grain yield (maize: 3.3 t. ha-1, sorghum: 2.9 t.ha-1) for the two crops and thus appears to be the most appropriate fertilizer recommendation for maize and sorghum production in the Sahel zone. However, costs-benefits studies for the use of fertilizer NPK and urea are warranted to facilitate adoption by farmers in the agroecological zone.