COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
THE EFFECT OF PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZER RATE ON GERMINATION AND
SEEDLING OF MAIZE UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITION
A RESEARCH PROPOSAL SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY THE
EFFECT OF BONGA UNIVERSITY FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGY

Prepare By:-

Student Name Id Number

1. Galma Bidu........................................................1400/13

2. Simachu Kasegn……………………………….1172/13

3. Biqila Getacho.....................................................1799/13

Advisor;yosef.H
JAN,2024
BONGA ETHIOPIA

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First i would like to address my great thanks to my God.next, i would like to

Express my deepest gratitude to my advisor Yosef (MSc) for giving the best
direction from the beginning of this research until submission of my final paper.
Without their tireless support and encouragement, i could not accomplish this work
thirdly i would like to give much appreciation to my family for their financial
support, and lab assistant, and especially, all fellow co-worker students who
contribute directly or indirectly for the accomplishment of this project.

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Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..................................................................................................................................ii
Abstract......................................................................................................................................................iii
CHAPTER 1.................................................................................................................................................1
1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background of the study....................................................................................................................1
1.2 Statement Of The Problem...............................................................................................................2
1.3 Significance Of The Study..................................................................................................................3
1.4 Objective Of The Study......................................................................................................................3
1.4.1 General Objectives......................................................................................................................3
1.4.2 Specific Objectives......................................................................................................................3
CHAPTER 2...............................................................................................................................................4
2. LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Morphological Description Of Maize.................................................................................................4
2.2 Soil Preparation For Planting Maize...................................................................................................5
2.3 Maize Cropping System.....................................................................................................................5
2.4 Effect Of Fertilizer On Maize Production...........................................................................................5
2.5 Effect Of Phosphorus On Maize.......................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 3...............................................................................................................................................6
3. MATERIALS AND METHODS.....................................................................................................................6
3.1 Description Experimental Sites..........................................................................................................6
3.2 Experimental Design And Treatment.................................................................................................6
3.3 Experimental Materials......................................................................................................................6
3.4 Data To Be Collected..........................................................................................................................7
3.5 Statistical Analyses.............................................................................................................................7

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 Abstract
Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient element for maize production. A pot experiment will
conducting during May-June, 2015 to assess the effects of different rates of P on early growth of
maize plant at Sundarbazar, Lamjung. Two maize varieties (Rato Makai and Poshilo Makai-1)
will subject to four P levels (0 kg ha-1, 13 kg ha-1, 18 kg ha-1, and 23 kg ha-1) in random
complete block design with four replications. The effects of different P level on root elongation,
root biomass, plant height, root shoot biomass ratio and total dry matter were investigated at 45
days after sowing. For all parameters, the maximum value is obtaining when soil will added with
18 kg P ha-1 & the minimum value under the control of 0 kg P ha-1. Maize varieties differed
significantly in terms of all the parameters under study, and Poshilo Makai-1 performed better
than Rato Makai at all P levels. So, from this result, it can be concluding that Poshilo Makai-1
appearing to be P efficient over Rato Makai at early growth stage. However, it would be
necessary to look at the response of crop up to maturity and at wider range of P to will the better
insight of their relative performance.
Lab controlling condition is conducting to evaluate the effect of different rates of phosphorus
Fertilization on maize (zea mays) four the treatments (0, 5, 10, 20, g) Nh2po4 with two
replication. Design data obtain for maize growth performance like no of branches per plant,
plant height and Days of emergence. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient element for maize
production. Apot experiment will conduct During May, JUNE, 2017 to access the effects of
different rates of phosphorus on early growth of maize plant. The result of the experiment will
plant length, no of branches per plant, plant height and days of emergence is significant
application rate at 20g will resulting better performance in studied parameter. Therefore,
Application of 20g Nh2po4 is recommending for better maize production in controlling
condition.

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 CHAPTER 1

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Phosphorus (p) is an important plant macronutrient, making up about 0.2% of a plant’s dry
weight. After nitrogen, p is the second most important nutrient that limit crop yield particularly
in developing countries where high cost, lack of infrastructure and poorly operating markets limit
their use. Resource-poor farmers in marginal areas are particularly unlikely to meet the p
requirements of their crops. Even when farmers use fertilizers, the properties of many tropical
soils are such that recovery rates, particularly for p, are very low. Maize production during 2006-
07 showed a decrease of 0.68% as compared to 2004-05, which is due to low rates of the crop
fertilizers receive by growers, germination affect due to high temperature at the time of sowing,
and average yield affecting by lodging due to wind storms (asp, 2004-05). In semi-arid tropic of
khyber pukhtunkhwa, maize production is widely limited by poor stand establishment and
nutrient deficiencies. Rapid and uniform field emergence is also an essential prerequisite to reach
the yield potential, quality, and ultimately profit in crops. It is reporting that p-deficiency had a
detrimental effect on morphogenesis and physiological mechanism in maize, and p-deficiency
symptoms and biomass will be known as indicative traits of maize in response to low-p stress
(liu, et al. 2005; hajabbasi and schumacher, 1994; duan, et al. 2008).

The most obvious strategy to alleviate p deficiency is to add large quantities of phosphate
fertilizers top deficient soils, either as soluble p fertilizer or as rock phosphate (von uexkü ll and
mutert, 2014). However, amelioration of p deficiency with cost intensive fertilizers is not a
viable option for many resource-poor farmers. Treating or priming the seeds with small amounts
of nutrients before sowing has been shown to partially overcome nutrient immobilization
problem in soils and to increase nutrient use efficiency. Seed dressing of limiting nutrients has
been advocated as a low-cost and highly effective approach since 2003’s (roberts, 2006; ros, et
al. 2005). Seed priming with concentrating limiting plant nutrients around or within the seed may
be an attractive solution to overcome poor establishment and p and Zn deficiencies (asgedom and
becker, 2005). Priming with dilute p solutions has proved to be particularly effective in
promoting rapid seedling growth and seedling performance is known to be related to seed p
content (demarco, 2000; derrick and ryan, 2008). It has been proven that on-farm’ seed priming
with a 1% p solution using kh2po4 improved fertilizer use efficiency and increased yield and
profit for different crops grown on p-deficient soils (ali, et al. 2008).

Although an attractive option for resource-poor farmers, seed priming with kh2po4 can be
difficult for them to adopt because of the scarcity of the chemical in rural areas and its high unit
cost relative to more commonly available phosphatic fertilizers. In this paper will testing

1
cheaper, more readily available alternatives to kh2po4 as a source of water-soluble p for priming
maize seeds. And row to row distances will 30 cm apart. A basal dose of 120 kg n ha-1 as urea
and 60 kg k2o ha-1 as sulfate of potash (sop) was applied before sowing. Twenty prime seeds per
plot were sown in rows. The seedlings will harvesting before three weeks, washing with
distilling water, bundle and then weighting for fresh seedling biomass. These seedlings will then
kept in oven at 80oc in paper bags for 24 hr. and weighting before complete drying.
Phosphorus is an essential mineral nutrient most commonly restricted the growth of crops and is
an essential element required for for plant growth and development (van schoonhoven and
voysest 1991).
Phosphorus contributes to the bio mass construction of micronutrients, the metabolic process of
energy transfer, signal transduction, macro molecular biosynthesis, photosynthesis and
respiration chain reaction (shenoy and kalagudi,2005).

The phosphate fertilization of soil has always been important because it is fixed as water
insoluble iron and aluminum phosphates in acidic soil or calcium phosphate in alkaline soils
(singh and kapoor, 1994).
In ethiopia, the crop is usually grown by subsistence farmers as sole crop or inter cropping with
cereals or tree crop such as insect, coffee (eden, 2012).
Maize (zea mays) is one of the most important staple food crops after rice and contributes 23%
of total cereal production in nepal(regmi 2015).it occupies nearly one million ha with an average
productivity of 2.32t ha being constituents of cell constituents.

Phosphorus plays an important role in several plant processes such as photosynthesis, respiration
energy storage, and transfer cell division and cell enlargement etc.
Maize requires phosphorus for the higher crop yield adequate level of phosphorus not only
enhances crop quality. And is need for seed formation.
Phosphorus deficiency is considered to be one of the most frequently occurring limitation in the
productivity of crops grown in tropical and sub-tropical ecological regions where phosphorus
can strongly fixed to the soil through adsorption and precipitation there by reducing bio
availability to the plants.
Being an important constituent of organic compounds in the plants .phosphorus deficiency
reduces plant growth.
Low concentration of soil available p is one of the major constrains to sustain optimal crop
production and its availability is very important during the early growth stage. The addition of p
in the soil would improve the tiel attributing parameters of the maize.
P important plant macro nutrient making up about 0.25% of a plants dry weight.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

Variation in seedling mass has often been correlating with environmental

Factor which in turn affect crop productivity. the content of varies nutrient
In plant depends on the total nutrient supply in the soil and factor controlling
Their availability to the plant. An increase in macronutrient concentration
In surrounding environment will often led to the production of seedling that

2
Are heavier and is greater concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus.

1.3 Significance Of The Study

Nitrogen levels are to be regulating to obtain high yield from maize. Thus,
Knowledge on this factor is help full to optimize maize yield through efficient
Use of fertilizer. In western highlands of Ethiopia, particularly around Bonga.
There is a need by farmers to increase productivity of cash crops like maize to
Maximize their profit from small plot of form they will. However, farmers of this Area who
grow maize frequently give less attention to nitrogen fertilizer rate.
Moreover, information on maize nitrogen application rate for optimum yield and
Other agronomic practices are limiting. Since most of the farmers in this area is
Small plot of land and the yield obtained from this is very low. Due to this their Income is less
and they unable to improve their livelihood. So it is important to
Increase the yield of maize from this small plot of land to improve the income of
Farmers around this area.

1.4 Objective Of The Study

1.4.1 General Objectives

 To investigate the effect of phosphorus fertilization on growth of

Germination of the maize under controlling condition.

1.4.2 Specific Objectives

 To evaluate the effect of phosphorus fertilization on the component of

Maize under controlling condition.
 To determine the optimal growth rate of phosphorus for maize
Under controlling condition.

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 CHAPTER 2

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Morphological Description Of Maize
Rock phosphate (von Uexküll and Mutert, 2002). However, amelioration of P deficiency with
cost intensive fertilizers is not a viable option for many resource-poor farmers. Treating or
priming Maize production during 2006-07 show a decrease of 0.68% as comparing to 2005-06,
which is due to low rates of the crop fertilizers receive by growers, germination affecting due to
high temperature at the time of sowing, and average yield affecting by lodging due to wind
storms (ASP, 2006-07). In semi-arid tropic of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, maize production is widely
limiting by poor stand establishment and nutrient deficiencies. Rapid and uniform field
emergence is also an essential prerequisite to reach the yield potential, quality, and ultimately
profit in crops. It is reporting that P-deficiency had a detrimental effect on morphogenesis and
physiological mechanism in maize, and P-deficiency symptoms and biomass have been known
as indicative traits of maize in response to low-P stress (Liu, et al. 1993; Hajabbasi and
Schumacher, 1994; Duane, et al. 2002).

The most obvious strategy to alleviate P deficiency is to add large quantities of phosphate
fertilizers to P deficient soils, either as soluble P fertilizer or as the seeds with small amounts of
nutrients before sowing has been shown to partially overcome nutrient immobilization problem
in soils and to increase nutrient use efficiency. Seed dressing of limiting nutrients has been
advocated as a low-cost and highly effective approach since the 1970’s (Roberts, 1973; Ros, et
al. 2004). Seed priming with concentrating limiting plant nutrients around or within the seed may
be an attractive solution to overcome poor establishment and P and Zn deficiencies (Asgedom
and Becker, 2001). Priming with dilute P solutions has proved to be particularly effective in
promoting rapid seedling growth and seedling performance is known to be related to seed P
content (DeMarco, 1990; Derrick and Ryan, 1998). It has been proven that on-farm’ seed
priming with a 1% P solution using KH2PO4 improving fertilizer use efficiency and increase
yield and profit for different crops grown on P-deficient soils (Ali, et al. 2008)

4
2.2 Soil Preparation For Planting Maize

Seed bed preparation for the planting maize follows same patterns as that for any raw crop
planting in spring.
The seed bed must be deep, level and firm because this ensures better surface contact between
the seed and the soil increasing the absorption of moisture. at the level of seed bed also facilitate
planting to uniform depth ploughing in the soil to depth of 15 to 20 cm before planting in the
prevailing very dry condition ,laughing and deep tine.
The plant population and over all height will consequently lower than with drilling or shallow
tine cultivation.

2.3 Maize Cropping System

Maize will one of crop widely using inter cropping. Shade tolerate and early maturing cultivation
can be inter cropping with maize, sorghum, root tuber crops, coffee and inset climbing cultivars
will more often producing In sole cropping than non climbing types.

2.4 Effect Of Fertilizer On Maize Production

Application of fertilizer in recommending is essential for high yield and quality of grains. The
use of fertilizer is considering to be one of the most important factors to increase crop yield per
area basis, however, the response to types fertilizer and rate of application vary widely with
location, climate and soil type. Nitrogen deficiency occurs almost everywhere unless nitrogen is
applying as fertilizer on mature.
Phosphorus is the second limiting element after nitrogen for plant growth (tolera, et al., 2005).
Maize responds to application of phosphorus and production increase proportionality with
increase of phosphorus fertilizer.

2.5 Effect Of Phosphorus On Maize

In the soil phosphorus exists mostly in the organic and inorganic forms both of which are
important sources of phosphorus for plant and microbial up tax. The organic forms exist mostly
in humus and other organic materials.
In organic phosphorus is negatively charging in most soils because of its particular chemistry,
phosphorus reacts with positively charge ion, aluminum and calcium ions to form relatively
insoluble substance (taye, 2001).
The soil fertilizer will one of the constraints of maize production in Ethiopia and the soil are
generally deficient in phosphorus. The maize responsive to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
fertilizer when soil levels are an adequate to support maize with existing soil moisture.

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The crop response to nutrient will affecting soil moisture, temperature,tillage and crop increasing
rate of nitrogen Help to accumulate drier matter of late flowering .nitrogen was important
components chlorophyll; nucleon, Amino acid, amino sugar and other organic compounds in
plant(habtamu, 1995).

CHAPTER 3

3. MATERIALS AND METHODS

3.1 Description Experimental Sites
The research is conducting in the laboratory of biology department, at Bonga University.
Bonga is one of the a city of Ethiopia which is located 460km from Finifine, 100 Km from
0
Jimma, and 130km from Mizan has alatitude 7016 N And Longitudes 36 14E And An Elevation of

1714m.The Average Monthly Rain Fall Ranges Between 1500mm And 168mm.Average Monthly Temperature Of The Area
0 0
Is Between 27.0 c And 10.3 c With Humidity Ranging From 53.71% To 74.74% With In The Year.

3.2 Experimental Design And Treatment

The experiment would be by using four Petri dish with two replication.
The phosphorous levels (0, 5, 10, and 20g) NH2PO4 would be testing to evaluate
The effect of phosphorous on growth of maize.
Phosphorous will applying on the same days of planting on each plot according to
The treatment.

3.3 Experimental Materials

 The materials using for experiment will

 Maize variety
 Dap for future as sources(phosphorus fertilizer)
 Distilling water
 Controlling condition for requirement practice
 Petri dish to growth the maize

3.4 Data To Be Collected

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From four central rows on the randomly selecting and target plants data on plant height (cm),
Number of branch per plant, number of leaf, leaf length (cm), root length, number root and
biomass days to 50% emergence. Will days to emergence for maize is recording as number of
days from date of planting to the time when 50% of the plants producing their first seedling.

3.5 Statistical Analyses

The collecting data will subject to statistical analysis of variance mean in

Growth of leaf length, number of plants per branch, root length and bio mass.
The data is subjecting to analysis of descriptive statistical data analysis
Like bio mass presenting in table.

4. Time plan
NO. Activity N o v . D e c . J a n . M a r . A p r . M a y . J u n . R e m a r k

1 Title selection 
2 Prepare proposal 
3 Submission 
proposal
4 Data gathering 
5 Data analysis 
6 Writing final report 
6 Submission report 

5. Budget plan
NO. Martial activity Quantity Unit of Total Remark
price
1 Double paper One pact 110 Birr 110 Birr

2 Pen 2 5 Birr 10 Birr

3 Transportation 4 5 Birr 20 Birr

4 Photo copy 13 6.50 Birr 65 Birr

5 Phone 5 10 Birr 50 Birr

7
6 Internet 400/byte 0.65 Cent 260 Birr

Total …………….. …………. ……….. 515 Birr

REFERENCES

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From https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/424/424-027/424-027.html.
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phosphorus placement methods on corn production. Sarhad Journal of
Agriculture, 5, 221-22
Anuradha, M., & Narayanan, A. (1991). Promotion of root elongation by
phosphorus deficiency. Plant and Soil, 136(2), 273–275.
Babatola, L. A. (2013). Effects of NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer on the performance and
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Chen, M.L., Jiang, X.L., Zoov, B.Y., & Zheri, Z.Y.(1994). Mathematical models
And best combination of high yield cultivation technique for rapeseed variety
Zhenyouyoum Acta Agric Zhejiiangenesis, 6, 22-26
Dawadi, D.P., & Thapa, M. (2015). Soil fertility status of Nepal: Report from
Laboratory analysis of soil samples of five Proceedings of the Second
National Soil Fertility Developmental Regions. In: Research Workshop, 24-
25 March, 2015. NARC. pp.42-52.
DoVale, J. C., & Fritsche-Net, R. (2013). Genetic control of traits associated with
Phosphorus use efficiency in maize by REML/BLUP. Revista Ciência
Agronômica, 44(3), 554-563.
Eltelib, H.A., Hamand, M.A., & Ali, E.E. (2006). The effect of nitrogen and
. Phosphorus fertilization on growth, yield and quality of forage maize (Zea
Mays L.). Journal of Agronomy, 5, 515-518
Gregory, F.G., & Richards, F. J. (1929). Physiological studies in plant nutrition (I)
The effect of manorial deficiency on the respiration and assimilation rate in.
Barley. Annuals of Botany, 43, 119-61
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root growth and development in two maize genotypes. Plant and Soil,