Recommendations of Fertilizer Formulas for the Production of the EVDT 97 Maize Variety in Northern Benin

Abstract

An experimental program was carried out in the year 2012 on tree main soil types: ferric Luvisols, gleyic Luvisols and eutric Gleysols in two agroecolological zones of Northern Benin. The global objective was to update the mineral fertilizer formulas recommended for maize production in these zones. The experimental design was a randomized completed bloc with four replicates, installed in farmers’ fields with the specific objective to validate five N, P, K based fertilizer formulas. The maize variety EVDT-97 STRW was used. Biophysical and economic analyses completed using the seasonal stool of the DSSAT model allowed to identify a series of efficient options. The results of variance analyses relating to the effect of different fertilizer formulas on maize grain yields showed that the rate simulated by the DSSAT model (115-30-75) produced the highest grain yields regardless of the soil types and agro-ecological zones. The ratio of observed-to-simulated values are close to 1 and the mean standard prediction error (NRMSE) between the observed and the simulated yields was comprised between 11% and 20% for gleyic Luvisols but between 21% and 30% for the other soil types. The results of the biophysical and economic analysis showed that the N115P30K75 was the most efficient fertilizer formula for sustainable maize production in Northern Benin.