Investigating Nutrient Uptake And Response In Different Varieties Of Corn Using Phosphoric Fertilizers

The Need for Phosphorus Nutrients in Corn Growth and Yield

Discuss about the Conventional and Controlled Release Fertiliser.

To investigate nutrient uptake and plant response in different varieties of corn using different phosphoric fertilizers Phosphorus nutrients are vital for increased plant processes, structure, function and yield because of their availability limit plant biomass production and growth. For instance, previous research shows that the combination of phosphorus increases root length, root-shoot mass, and root surface area. In some plant species such as the Arabidopsis plant, different levels of these nutrients have been proved to influence both the branching plasticity and root length (Woldetsadik, 2003). Thus the production of high crop yield especially corn requires a standard fertilizer application to offer seedlings the desired amount of phosphorus for optimum production during crop harvest.   

For the last few years, the use of fertilizers in the garden to support food crops such as corn and their yield has continued to attract the attention of farmers and research all over the world due to increased demand to sustain human beings with enough food especially in areas where corn is the staple food (Fernández, & Brown, 2013). This continued demand can only be met through healthy crop production which then increases plant root and shoots production necessary for increased yield (Wild, Jones, & Macduff, 2007). However, the process needs a proper diagnosis of the specific factors that limit crop growth and development. Farmers all over the world have used different fertilizers that contain phosphorus on corn and have achieved varied results based on the yield obtained thereafter during harvesting (Ahiabor, & Hirata, 2004). The amount of these nutrients has been said to differ significantly from one fertilizer type to another. The uptake of the nutrients has also been confirmed to differ from one type of corn to the next (Seran, Srikrishnah, S., & Ahamed, 2010). The various factors that influence crop growth and yield and the subsequent effectiveness of the nutrient application on the crops include the type of fertilizer used and the amount of the two nutrients in these fertilizer types.   

It has been confirmed scientifically that the growth of a mono seedling is retarded in the initial stages of growth. Thus, specific species of phosphorus combination is required for ensuring that the young seedlings come out as healthy young crops. Therefore this current study is designed to determine the phosphorus effects on different varieties of corn which is a mono-seedling crop on both shoot and root morphology (Gagnon, Simard, Robitaille, Goulet, & Rioux, 2007). The various components to be analyzed include plant height, shoot and root biomass content, leaf chlorophyll, shoot and root phosphorus content, shoot and root biomass as well as the root and shoot potassium content. It will also be used to establish both phosphorus application standards for the corn crop.

The Importance of Fertilizers in Corn Yields

The proposal depends on the different hypothesis that will help set up a study objective. These hypotheses lead to the formulation of study questions necessary for the research so that answers are sought based on them. The following are the hypotheses of the study;

1. Different fertilizers have different levels of phosphorus. The study will apply different types of fertilizers including animal manure, all of which contain different levels of phosphorus to establish which type is best suited for high growth and development in corn production.
2. Different corn varieties have different phosphorus uptake needed for growth and development. The study will apply different varieties of corn to establish which corn variety takes up the most or fewer levels of phosphorus.
3. Phosphorus affects different functions in the growth and development of corn especially, the shoot and root growth, plant height, chlorophyll as well as root and shoot biomass. The study will be seeking to investigate the effect of both phosphorus fertilizers on the different functions and stages of corn production. The study will target the roots, shoots, chlorophyll content, and root and shoot biomass.

The study will apply the quantitative type of study design that will help investigate the outcome of the identified hypotheses. This methodology is chosen since the study will involve experiments that involve height measurement, and experimental analysis for the different variables. The study will involve different variables that include phosphorus content, potassium content, fertilizer type which are the independent variables for the study (Boyhan, Torrance, & Hill, 2007). Corn variety, plant height, chlorophyll content, roots and shoot biomass are the depended variables in the study. These variables will all be tested for the various groups including the control group.       

The data involved includes three fertilizer types such as poultry manure, rock phosphate fertilizer and superphosphate fertilizer. There will also be four corn varieties to be investigated which include A, B, C and D. one variety will be used in the control group just as the fertilizer. The study will include three samples and one control group. The type of study will be the experiment type of research that will target the hypotheses. The analysis will include the use of tables and graphs that will help test the various set hypothesis (Drew, & Saker, 2008). The use of tables is best suited for the data analysis since it is easy to record and interpret the data. Together with the graph, they will help in making a comparison of the different parameters being tested in the study. The graph will help to prove whether the hypotheses are true of null depending on the behavior of the parameters being investigated.  

The height of the corn crops will be done several times that include before and after the fertilizer application to make note of the effect of the fertilizer type on the crops. This will be done two weeks after the crops shoots are noticed and two weeks after the application of fertilizers. The study will use the excel spreadsheet to analyze the data since it is easy to record and formulate graphs. The root and shoot analysis will be analyzed in the lab and recording done to enable the analysis. The chlorophyll content will be tested by grounding the leaves in a mortar using sodium carbonate powder and quartz sand in small amounts (Calvo, Nelson, & Kloepper, 2014). Ethanol will be increased in the mortar and the absorbance level measured.

Factors that Influence Crop Growth and Fertilizer Effectiveness

These are two graphs that show the level of chlorophyll content effect on the application of fertilizers with phosphorus nutrients. From the first graph, it is hypothesized that there will be an effect of these nutrients on the level of chlorophyll content in corn mono-seedlings (Eno, 2006). This can be noted from the way the graphs show sharp behavior with upwards and downwards movement. This effect is expected to be the case in the fertilizers with the highest or significant contents of these nutrients. This will be noted from the various corn types as indicated in the sample selection.  As can be noted from the graph phosphate fertilizer is to be highly responsible for the chlorophyll content as compared to poultry manure.  

The second graph involves a proof to the null hypothesis that there will not be any effect of phosphorus nutrients on the various corn types that are applied in the study (Emilsson, Berndtsson, Mattsson, & Rolf, 2007). This is noted from the behavior of the graphs which have no change in the way they move along with applied fertilizer nutrients. As can be noted, the graphs do not have an increasing behavior based on the application of the different fertilizer nutrients. The graph tries to prove that the phosphorus nutrients have no effect on chlorophyll content in the corn crops.

The budget has been established based on the current price of the various elements in the market and distributed as per the required amounts.

Based on the far I have come to this level of being an undergraduate, I have been exploring the career of being an agricultural extension officer in the future. So far I have done different studies that investigate different parameters in both plants and animals which have given me enough experience to apply in the near future. This makes one of the important studies that can be applied in the field as I work to help farmers achieve much from the agricultural efforts. As a farmer, it is always good to know the requirements of different crops so that they can have the standards for nutrient uptake in various plants to achieve high plant yield. Such farmers need the services of extension officers that will guide them through their agricultural practice. The various objectives of my career include the following;

• To be a successful extension officer in agriculture with the ability to help farmers achieve much in their agricultural practice.
• To help my country increase agricultural produce as a means of meeting the increasing demand for food products among people.
• To achieve high grades in my undergraduate degree that will enable me to get good job positions in the corporate world especially in the agricultural sector.

References

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Boyhan, G. E., Torrance, R. L., & Hill, C. R. (2007). Effects of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium rates and fertilizer sources on yield and leaf nutrient status of short-day onions. HortScience, 42(3), 653-660.

Calvo, P., Nelson, L., & Kloepper, J. W. (2014). Agricultural uses of plant biostimulants. Plant and soil, 383(1-2), 3-41.

Drew, M. C., & Saker, L. R. (2008). Nutrient supply and the growth of the seminal root system in barley: III. Compensatory increases in growth of lateral roots, and in rates of phosphate uptake, in response to a localized supply of phosphate. Journal of Experimental Botany, 29(2), 435-451.

Emilsson, T., Berndtsson, J. C., Mattsson, J. E., & Rolf, K. (2007). Effect of using conventional and controlled release fertiliser on nutrient runoff from various vegetated roof systems. Ecological engineering, 29(3), 260-271.

Eno, C. F. (2006). Nitrate Production in the Field by Incubating the Soil in Polyethylene Bags 1. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 24(4), 277-279.

Ferguson, R. B., Nienaber, J. A., Eigenberg, R. A., & Woodbury, B. L. (2005). Long-term effects of sustained beef feedlot manure application on soil nutrients, corn silage yield, and nutrient uptake. Journal of environmental quality, 34(5), 1672-1681.

Fernández, V., & Brown, P. H. (2013). From plant surface to plant metabolism: the uncertain fate of foliar-applied nutrients. Frontiers in plant science, 4, 289.

Gagnon, B., Simard, R. R., Robitaille, R., Goulet, M., & Rioux, R. (2007). Effect of composts and inorganic fertilizers on spring wheat growth and N uptake. Canadian Journal of Soil Science, 77(3), 487-495.

Seran, T. H., Srikrishnah, S., & Ahamed, M. M. Z. (2010). Effect of different levels of inorganic fertilizers and compost as basal application on the growth and yield of onion (Allium cepa L.). The Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 5(2), 64-70.

Wild, A., Jones, L. H. P., & Macduff, J. H. (2007). Uptake of mineral nutrients and crop growth: the use of flowing nutrient solutions. Advances in Agronomy, 41, 171-219.

Woldetsadik, K. (2003). Shallot (Allium cepa var. ascolonicum) responses to plant nutrients and soil moisture in a sub-humit tropical climate (Vol. 367).