Effects of Combined Application of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on the Growth and Economic Benefits of Spring Maize in Low-yield Fields
In order to explore the optimal fertilization mode and method for spring maize in low-yield fields in semi-arid area on the Loess Plateau,the occurrence of diseases and pests,yield and economic benefit of spring maize were studied under different fertilization treatments such as organic fertilizer,chemical fertilizer,organic and inorganic combined application.Results showed that the combined application of organic-inorganic fertilizer could reduce the occurrence of maize pests and diseases and promote plant growth.All fertilization treatments could effectively increase the maize yield with yield increases ranging from 15.28%to 85.45%.Among them,the compound fertilization treatment(sheep manure+chemical fertilizer+ferrous sulfate+humic acid+biological fertilizer)had the highest average yield of 12,497.4 kg/ha,an increase of 85.45%compared to the non-fertilized treatment.Sheep manure+commercial organic fertilizer+chemical fertilizer combination was the second,with an average yield of 11,830.4 kg/ha,an increase of 75.55%compared to the non-fertilized treatment.The net benefit of sheep manure combined with fertilizer treatment was the highest,which increased by 5,360.6 and 3,029.6 Yuan/ha compared to the non-fertilized and chemical fertilizer-only treatments,respectively.Comprehensive consideration from the yield and economic benefits,the optimal fertilization methods were sheep manure with chemical fertilizers,sheep manure+commercial organic fertilizer+chemical fertilizers,and compound fertilization(sheep manure+chemical fertilizers+ferrous sulfate+humic acid+biofertilizer),all of which demonstrated significant effects on improving grain yield and economic benefit in low-yield fields.