PART A: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to appreciate my teacher Ms Moloi for her guidance by providing me with
constructive feedback throughout the project. I am thankful to the agriculture department
for giving me the guidelines in order to carry out this project. I’m also grateful to my mother
Kgomotso Madala who used to drop me off at the school garden on weekends to water the
plots. My groupmates Opelu Joshua, Nayang Mabutho and Leshata Ngalapi also deserve
special thanks for helping me with the application of fertilizer to the plot.
INTRODUCTION
Maize, commonly known as corn, is one of the most important cereal crops grown
worldwide for food, animal feed and industrial purposes. The successful growth of maize
depends on the availability of essential nutrients in the soil, particularly Nitrogen (N),
Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K). However, most soils in agricultural regions become
depleted over time due to various reasons such as continuous cropping and leaching. The
fertiliser 2:3:2(30) is a compound fertilizer that contains Nitrogen, Phosphorus and
Potassium in the ratio 2:3:2, with a total nutrient content of thirty. These nutrients support
various physiological processes in maize such as root development, leaf formation and grain
production.
The main purpose of the study is to determine the effect of 2:3:2(30) fertilizer on the
growth and biomass production of maize. The findings will help farmers understand the
importance of balanced fertilizer use and may contribute to improved maize yields through
better nutrient management.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Patel et al. (2021) found that the slow-release property of 2:3:2(30) reduces nitrogen losses
through leaching and volatilization, thereby improving nitrogen use efficiency and resulting
in better stalk development compared to other nitrogen fertilizers.
Kumar et al. (2020) discovered that applying 2:3:2(30) improves maize stalk and growth,
with nitrogen promoting cell division and elongation in the stalk tissues, leading to
increased stalk diameter and height.
Smith and Clark (2016) reported that the response of maize stalk to 2:3:2(30) can vary
depending on soil type, application rate and environmental conditions. They further noted
that excessive nitrogen can lead to excessive vegetative growth, increasing the risk of
lodging. Therefore, balanced fertilization using 2:3:2(30) is important for optimizing maize
stalk growth and overall crop performance.
METHODOLOGY
The garden was divided into four plots. Two plots were designated as treatment plots
where 2:3:2(30) fertilizer was added, while the other two served as control plots with no
fertilizer application. Simple randomization was used to select which plots received
fertilizer treatment.
Due to the small size of the plots (1m by 1m) and the low population of maize plants, no
sampling was necessary. All maize stalks in the treatment and control plots were harvested
and weighed.
Data was collected two weeks after seedling emergence and subsequently once per day.
Biomass measurements were recorded using a micro price computing 30kg digital scale.
Data was analyzed using basic statistical methods to compare the biomass between
treatment and control plots.
PART B: CONDUCT OF THE STUDY
DATA ANALYSIS
Data was analyzed using simple statistical methods. The biomass from treatment plots was
compared to that from control plots by calculating average biomass per square meter. This
helped determine the effect of 2:3:2(30) fertilizer on maize growth.
RESULTS
The table below shows the average biomass of maize between control and treatment plots.
Data was collected 12 weeks after seedling emergence.
Treatment plots average: 1.83 kg/m²
Control plots average: 1.40 kg/m²
These results indicate that maize in treatment plots with 2:3:2(30) fertilizer had
significantly greater biomass compared to the control plots.
DISCUSSION
The results demonstrate that 2:3:2(30) fertilizer significantly increased the biomass of
maize compared to control plots. This can be attributed to the higher availability of
nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which support leaf development, chlorophyll
production, and overall physiological processes in maize. The findings align with earlier
studies which show that 2:3:2(30) enhances stalk growth, nitrogen use efficiency, and
biomass accumulation.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that the application of 2:3:2(30) fertilizer results in higher biomass
production of maize stalks. The treatment plots yielded greater biomass compared to the
control plots, confirming the positive effect of fertilizer use.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The study recommends that farmers, especially at Masunga Senior Secondary School, adopt
the use of 2:3:2(30) fertilizer for maize production. This will improve crop growth and
productivity. Further research is encouraged to test the effectiveness of 2:3:2(30) under
varying soil and environmental conditions to confirm its reliability.
REFERENCES
Addrian, J. A., & Banjouke, V. A. (2003). Comparative effectiveness of some compost
fertilizer formulations for maize production in Nigeria. African Soils, 33, 39–54.
Kihara, J., et al. (2016). Nitrogen Source and Rate Management improve Productivity in
Smallholder Systems of Semi-Arid Zimbabwe.
Mhlanga, B., et al. (2018). Comparative Effects of 2:3:2(30) on Maize growth and Stover
yield.
Rurinda, J., et al. (2020). Nutrient Management for Maize Stover and Grain Yield in Sub-
Saharan Africa.
Smith, A., & Clark, P. (2016). Effects of Balanced Fertilization on Maize Growth. Journal of
Crop Science, 12(4), 210–219.
Frontiers in Agronomy (2025). Soil fertility Management Practices Improve Maize
Aboveground Biomass.
APPENDIX
Table 1: Raw data from treatment and control plots
Treatment Plot 1: 2.155 kg
Treatment Plot 2: 1.500 kg
Control Plot 1: 1.345 kg
Control Plot 2: 1.460 kg
Average biomass for treatment = (2.155 + 1.500) / 2 = 1.83 kg/m²
Average biomass for control = (1.345 + 1.460) / 2 = 1.40 kg/m²