Abstract
A five-year field experiment with maize (Zea mays L.) grown as a monoculture investigated the effect of mineral fertilization with nitrogen as ammonium nitrate at a rate of 240 t ha-1 and phosphorus as triple superphosphate at a rate of 140 kg ha-1 on ten key agronomic traits. Statistical evaluation of the results was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation analysis.
The ANOVA test confirmed that the differences between the unfertilized control and the fertilized treatments were statistically significant. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships between yield and morphological traits, especially in the fertilized variants. Mineral fertilization significantly increased both grain yield and plant height, while also strengthening the interrelations between productive and morphological traits under monoculture growing conditions. Over the five-year period, the average yield in the fertilized treatments was 46% higher compared to the unfertilized control.
Over the five-year period from 2019 to 2023, a complex effect of precipitation on maize yields was observed. A positive correlation was established between the amount of rainfall and productivity; however, higher rainfall did not always correspond to increased yields. For instance, in 2019, lower rainfall (259.2 mm) was accompanied by a higher yield in the fertilized variant (8.189 t/ha) compared to 2021, when rainfall was greater (331.2 mm) but the yield was lower (5.487 t/ha).
Keywords: correlation analysis, maize, monoculture, mineral fertilization