Table 4 The summary of the effect of fertilizers on maize yield (selected data)

India

Vertisol sandy loam texture

Organic fertilizers and urea

100% RDF of N (100% RDF comprised of 60 kg ha − 1 of N and 30 kg h⁻¹ of P2O5.)

25 kg ha⁻¹ N (FYM) + 25 kg N (Urea) + 30 kg P ha⁻¹

25 kg ha⁻¹ N (Compost) + 25 kg N (Urea) + 30 kg P ha⁻¹

25 kg ha⁻¹ N (Crop residue) + 25 kg N (Urea) + 30 kg P ha⁻¹

15 kg ha ha⁻¹ N (FYM) + 10 kg N (Crop Residue) + 25 kg N (Urea) + 30 kg P ha ha⁻¹

15 kg ha⁻¹ N (FYM) + 10 kg N (Compost) + 25 kg N (Urea) + 30 kg P ha⁻¹

15 kg ha⁻¹ N (FYM) + 10 kg N (Green Leaf) + 25 kg N (Urea) + 30 kg P ha⁻¹

100% recommended N (urea) without P (60 kg ha⁻¹ of N)

Control

2.1 t ha⁻¹

2.2 t ha⁻¹

2.1 t ha⁻¹

2.0 t ha⁻¹

2.0 t ha⁻¹

2.1 t ha⁻¹

2.3 t ha⁻¹

1.8 t ha⁻¹

1.5 t ha⁻¹

40

46.7

40

33.3

33.3

40

53.3

20

[79]

West Africa (Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso)

Lixic Plinthosols, Haplic Lixisols

Recommended nitrogen (60 kg ha⁻¹)

High nitrogen (120 kg ha⁻¹)

Control

1.5 t ha⁻¹

1.6 t ha⁻¹

1.0 t ha⁻¹

50

60

[65]

Italy

Calcaric gleyic cambisol

90N kg ha⁻¹

180 N kg ha⁻¹

Control

1.98 t ha⁻¹

2.7 t ha⁻¹

1.2 t ha⁻¹

65

125

[66]

Ghana

Ferric acrisol

Urea (90 kg N ha⁻¹)

Plant residues

Control (no fertilizer)

2.3 ha⁻¹

1.9 ha⁻¹

1.0 ha⁻¹

130

90

[70]

India

Sandy loam in texture (Typic

Haplustept) of Gangetic alluvial origin

N:P2O5:K2O kg ha⁻¹

Farmer fertilizer practices (110.0:30.0:0.0)

Recommended dose (150.0:60.0:40.0)

Site specific nutrient management (170.0:37.0:44.0)

Unfertilized (110.0:30.0:0.0)

3.78 t ha⁻¹

4.42 t ha⁻¹

6.99 t ha⁻¹

2.85 t. ha⁻¹

32.6

55.1

145.3

[76]

Ghana

Sandy-loam soils

Nitrogen levels (urea)

60 kg/ha

120 kg/ha

Control

2.2 t ha⁻¹

2.8 t. ha⁻¹

0.5 t ha⁻¹

340

460

[89]

Malaysia

Bungor (Typic Paleudult; Order: Ultisol)

Dolomite lime stone + Rice biochar + TSP (Data from average of TSP and Dolomite at 75 and 100%, rice biochar from 10 and 15 t/ha)

NPK recommended

Control (no biochar or fertilizer)

15.17 t ha⁻¹

9.77 t ha⁻¹

9.22 t ha⁻¹

64.5

5.97

[78]

Italy

Mesic Udertic Haplustalf soil

100% N fertilization (230 kg N ha^{−1 −} urea)

70% N fertilization (160 kg N ha^{−1 −} urea)

0% N fertilization (control)

14.74 t ha⁻¹

13.49 t ha⁻¹

10.63 t ha⁻¹

38.7

26.9

[68]

China

Brown soil (clay textural class)

Inorganic N fertilizer

Inorganic N and phosphorus (P) fertilizer

Inorganic N, P, and potassium(K) fertilizer

Inorganic NPK fertilizer + manure

Control

(Fertilizers urea, calcium superphosphate, and potassium chloride; rates N 187.5 kg ha⁻¹, P₂O₅ 150 kg ha⁻¹, and K₂O 150 kg ha⁻¹, horse manure 25 Mg ha⁻¹)

4.54 t ha⁻¹

6.05 t ha⁻¹

7.2 t ha⁻¹

8.23 t ha⁻¹

3.55 t ha⁻¹

27.9

70.4

102.8

131.8

[31]

China

Brown earth

100% manure

75% cattle manure + 25% mineral nitrogen

50% cattle manure + 50% mineral nitrogen

100% mineral nitrogen

6.9 t ha⁻¹

7.2 t ha⁻¹

8.1 t ha⁻¹

7.2 t ha⁻¹

Not calculated

[90]

China

Mollisol

Farmer’s N management 250 kg N ha⁻¹,

Improved N management 175 kgNha⁻¹ applied at the basal stage and 14–38 kg N ha⁻¹ at jointing stage

Control

10.7 t ha⁻¹

10.8 t ha⁻¹

5.5 t ha⁻¹

94.5

96.4

[72]

India

Sandy-loam soil (Typic Haplustept)

N through prilled urea (N:P2O5:K2O kg ha⁻¹ 150:60:40)

N through Sulfur coated urea (S) (N:P2O5:K2O kg ha⁻¹ 150:60:40)

N through Neem coated urea(N:P2O5:K2O kg ha⁻¹)

Control

5.6 t ha⁻¹

5.4 t ha⁻¹

5.8 t ha⁻¹

2.8 t ha⁻¹

100

92.8

107.1

[74]

Taiwan

Hyperthermic, udic, haplaquept, mixed, and calcareous, with a silty loam texture

Chemical fertilizer (N 178N kg ha⁻¹

, P2O5 56N kg ha⁻¹, K2O 60N kgha⁻¹)

Organic fertilizer (20,000 kg ha⁻¹)

Integrated fertilizer (half chemical and half organic)

13.4 t ha⁻¹

13.6 t ha⁻¹

13.4 t ha⁻¹

Not calculated

[91]

India

Gangetic alluvium (Entisol)

100% recommended dose of nitrogen or RD_N) (chemical fertilizer)

25% RD_N (vermicompost)

25% RD_N (FYM)

25% RD_N (brassicaceousseed meal)

25% RD_N (neem cake)

5.6 t ha⁻¹

5.7 t ha⁻¹

5.9 t ha⁻¹

6.5 t ha⁻¹

6.2 t ha⁻¹

Not calculated

[92]

China

Loam, clay and sand

Nitrogen levels

168N kg ha⁻¹

240N kg ha⁻¹

270N kg ha⁻¹

321N kg ha⁻¹

Control (0 kg ha⁻¹)

9.3 t ha⁻¹

9.5 t ha⁻¹

9.4 t ha⁻¹

9.3 t ha⁻¹

5.7 t ha⁻¹

63.1

66.7

64.9

63.1

[67]

Pakastan

Silt loam

Urea alone (200 kg N kg ha⁻¹)

Urea (200 kg N kg ha⁻¹) + Gibberellic acid(60 g ha⁻¹)

Urea (200 kg N kg ha⁻¹) + nitrapyrin (700 g ha⁻¹)

Urea(200 kg N kg ha⁻¹) + nitrapyrin (700 g ha⁻¹) + Gibberellic acid(60 g ha⁻¹)

Control

4.5 t ha⁻¹

5.0 t ha⁻¹

5.3 t ha⁻¹

6.2 t ha⁻¹

4.0 t ha⁻¹

12.5

25

32.5

55

[73]

China

Black soils (luvic phaeozems), fluvo-aquic soils (calcaric cambisols), and loessial soils (calcaric regosol)

Mineral nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizer

NPK: NP + potassium

NP + S: NP + Straw

NPK + S: NPK + straw

3.99 t ha⁻¹

7.4 t ha⁻¹

8.3 t ha⁻¹

8.3 t ha⁻¹

8.2 t ha⁻¹

Not calculated

[35]

Ghana

Ferric luvisol

Ammonium sulfate (60 kgs/ha/yr)

Ammonium sulfate (120 kgs/ha/yr)

Urea (60 kgs/ha/yr)

Urea (120 kgs/ha/yr)

NPK 60–40-40 (Recommended)

Control

2.1 t ha⁻¹

2.3 t ha⁻¹

2.2 t ha⁻¹

2.3 t ha⁻¹

2.1 t ha⁻¹

0.4 t ha⁻¹

425

475

450

475

425

[93]

Uganda

Silty loam gleysols

Farmers practice (weeded once)

Mineral fertilizer; low rate (NPK: 60:0:0)—130 kgha⁻¹ urea

Mineral fertilizer; high rate (NPK: 120:60:60)—261 urea + 130 TSP + 100 Potassium chloride (KCl)

Organic amendments; low rate (NPK: 60:3:35)—5929Lablab purpureus (Linnaeus) Sweet

Organic amendments; low rate (NPK: 120:18:79)—5929L. purpureus + 6758 poultry manure

Non-fertilized (weed free)

1.6 t ha⁻¹

3.3 t ha⁻¹

5 t ha⁻¹

3.4 t ha⁻¹

4.2 t ha⁻¹

3.2 t ha⁻¹

-50

3.1

56.3

6.3

31.3

[94]

Benin

Ferralitic soil

100% NPK

50% NPK

0% NPK (control)

4.7 t ha⁻¹

3.0 t ha⁻¹

2.0 t ha⁻¹

85

50

[69]

China

Semi-hydromorphic-fluvo-aquic-salinized fluvo-aquic soil

Biochar (20 t. ha⁻¹)

Organic fertilizer 1.35 t ha⁻¹)

1.2 t ha⁻¹

1.1 t ha⁻¹

9.1

[32]

Chile

Alluvial origin (coarse loam family on skeletal, mixed, thermal sand of the Entic Haploxerolls)

Nitrogen rates (urea)

400 kg ha⁻¹

200 kg ha⁻¹

19.14 t ha⁻¹

16.66 t ha⁻¹

14.9

[71]