The Impact of Adding Bio-fertilizer and Spraying Seaweed extract on the Growth and Yield of Zea mays

Abstract

A study conducted in the Al-abbasiya district, Najaf, during the 2022 agricultural fall season utilized a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and a normal factorial experiment. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of bio-fertilizer addition and seaweed extract spraying on maize yield parameters. The findings indicated that the application of bio-fertilizer, specifically the B₂ treatment, outperformed the control treatment in various traits, including plant height, leaf surface area, total chlorophyll, total plant weight, and grain yield. The respective measurements for these traits were 195.1 cm, 0.642 m² plant^-¹, 2.829 mg g⁻¹ plant, 21.75 tons ha^-¹, and 8.74 tons ha^-¹. Similarly, most of the analyzed parameters, such as plant height, leaf surface area, total chlorophyll, total plant weight, and grain yield, were superior to the control treatment, with measurements of 196.3 cm, 0.398 m² plant^-¹, 2.738 mg g⁻¹ plant, 21.32 tons ha^-¹, and 10.68 tons ha^-¹, respectively. The B₂N₂ treatment exhibited higher values for several analyzed parameters, including plant height, leaf surface area, total chlorophyll, total plant weight, and grain yield, which measured 203.9 cm, 0.681 m² plant^-¹, 2.99 mg g^-¹ plant, 23.45 tons ha^-¹, and 11.73 tons ha^-¹, respectively, compared to the control treatment.