The influence of potassium to mineral fertilizers on the maize health

Abstract

Field experiments (2009-2011) were conducted at the Department of Agronomy at Poznań University of Life Sciences on the fields of the Research Institute in Swadzim. We evaluated the health of maize plants of two types, depending on the variations in mineral fertilization. The conducted research recorded the occurrence of pests such as oscinella frit (Oscinella frit L.) and the European corn borer (Pyrausta nubilalis Hbn.). Diseases recorded during the research included two pathogenes: Fusarium (Fusarium ssp.) and corn smut (Ustilago maydis Corda). It was shown that the meteorological conditions during the maize vegetation had a significant influence on the occurrence of pests. Adding potassium to mineral fertilizers increased the maize resistance to Fusarium. Cultivation of "stay-green" cultivar shall be considered as an element of integrated maize protection. The occurrence of oscinella frit was correlated with the occurrence of Fusarium as well as the occurrence of the European corn borer for both examined cultivars.