Title: The Role of Organic Fertilization Enhanced with the Bioactivator EM1 in Reducing Mineral Fertilizer and Its Effect on the Yield and Components of Maize (Zea mays L.)
A master’s thesis entitled “The Role of Organic Fertilization Enhanced with the Bioactivator EM1 in Reducing Mineral Fertilizer and Its Effect on the Yield and Components of Maize” was defended by the student Ruqayya Naeem Abdulameer at the College of Agriculture, University of Kerbala.
The thesis is structured into seven chapters: Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Materials and Methods, Results, Conclusions and Recommendations, and References.
Objectives of the Thesis:
- To investigate the potential for reducing recommended NPK fertilizer doses by substituting them with organic and biofertilizers.
- To identify the most effective type of organic fertilizer and its impact on maize growth indicators and yield.
- To evaluate the role of the bioactivator EM1 and its interaction with organic fertilizers on maize productivity.
- To understand the integrated effect of the studied factors on growth, yield, and quality indicators of maize.
The Student Recommended the Following Based on the Results:
• Organic and biofertilization treatments, particularly O4 (sheep manure at 4 tons ha⁻¹ + EM1) and O5 (poultry manure at 4 tons ha⁻¹ + EM1), led to significant increases in all studied traits, except for the organic matter content in the soil after planting.
• Applying the full recommended dose of NPK fertilizers resulted in significant improvements in all studied traits, except for ear height, nitrogen content in the vegetative part, carbohydrate content, and soil organic matter percentage.
• Organic matter treatments contributed to reducing the recommended dose of chemical fertilizers by 50%, while also increasing soil organic matter content and improving the availability of iron and zinc.
• Enhancing organic matter with the bioactivator EM1 had a significant effect on all studied traits.
