Effects of NPKS Granular and Briquette Fertilizers on Some Soil Chemical Properties and Yield Parameters of Maize (Zea mays L.)

The primary objective of this multilocational study was to investigate the impact of NPKS granule and briquette fertilizers, on selected soil chemical properties and yield of maize. The treatments were made up of different rates of NPKS granules and briquette fertilizers namely: T1 (Control), T2 (Granule NPK 10- 20-20 (200 kg ha-1) + Granule Urea 217.2 kg ha-1), T3 (Granule NPKS 10- 20-20-3 (600 kg ha-1) + Granule Urea 87 kg ha-1 GrU), T4 (Granule NPKS 10- 20-20-3 (400 kg ha-1) + Granule Urea 87 kg ha-1 GrU), T5 (Granule NPKS 10- 20-20-3 (400 kg ha-1) + No Urea), T6 (Briquette NPKS 10- 20-20-3 (3 briquettes/hill) + Briquette Urea (2 briquettes/hill) and T7 (Briquette NPKS 10- 20-20-3 (3 briquettes/hill) + Briquette Urea (1 briquette/hill), were deployed in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Some soil chemical properties were assessed; pH, available phosphorus (P), exchangeable potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), cation exchange capacity (CEC), total nitrogen (N), and organic matter content. Findings revealed stable pH levels, low available P, and suboptimal exchangeable K levels in the soil, indicating that the treatment did not have any significant impact on the chemical properties of the soil. The application of Granular NPKS 10- 20-20-3 (400 kg ha-1) + Granular Urea 87 kg ha-1 GrU) to maize produced significantly higher cob length and cob diameter compared with the control at only Atebubu. Total grain yield exhibited no significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) among treatments at Atebubu and Nsapor respectively. Significant differences occurred in the 100-seed with T3 and T4 producing higher weights at Nsapor and Atebubu respectively. Although the differences between treatments were not statistically significant, the result indicate a potential positive effect of T3 and T5 on grain yield (t/ha). The study highlights the influence of NPKS fertilizers in granule and briquette forms on soil chemical properties and maize yield, with the granules performing better than the briquette hence recommended.