Impact of soil treatment with alkaline zinc carbonate on the quantity and quality of maize (Zea mays L.) yield

Abstract

Our research conducted at the Department of Soil Management was aimed at investigating whether maize (Zea mays L.) would respond to a supply of zinc as a micro-element. We expected an increased yield and/or improvements in certain quality factors, such as a greater oil and starch contents. Soil fertilization experiments were performed with a basic zinc-carbonate active agent, under field conditions, in brown forest soil with clay illuviation, in a random block arrangement. Four iterations of the experiments were done in the vicinity of Zimány village in South-West Hungary. Maize served as our test crop. In 2010 we tested the first-year impact of the active agent, while in 2011 we evaluated its retard effect. In 2010 each of the examined quality attributes showed most improvement in response to the 100 kg ha-1 treatment, which corresponded to the largest dose applied in the study. Out of the examined yield elements the average values of the cob mass and the unfertilized cob length were greatest in 2011, because of the 25 kg ha-1 treatment, the lowest dose in the experiment, while with respect to the grain/cob ratio the 50 kg ha-1 treatment was found the most effective.