Optimizing Sweet Corn Yield and Profitability Through NPK Compound Fertilizer Application

Hafith Furqoni

doi:10.62951/botani.v2i3.441

Authors

Hafith Furqoni IPB University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62951/botani.v2i3.441

Keywords:

Dose Optimization, Farm Profitability, Relative Effectiveness, Vegetative Growth, Yield Components

Abstract

Sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) is a high-value horticultural crop whose productivity is closely linked to effective nutrient management, particularly the balanced application of macronutrients—nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). This study evaluates the agronomic and economic impacts of applying NPK compound fertilizer at varying doses (0.5×, 0.75×, 1.0×, 1.25×, and 1.5× the recommended rate) on sweet corn growth and yield performance. Field experiments demonstrated that NPK application significantly enhanced vegetative growth parameters, including plant height, leaf number, and stem diameter, with improvements ranging from 15.8% to 37.3% over the unfertilized control. Yield components such as ear length, husked ear weight, and dehusked ear weight also showed marked increases, resulting in higher total yields per plot and per hectare. Among the treatments, the 1.25× dose achieved the highest relative agronomic effectiveness (RAE) at 147%, indicating superior nutrient utilization and biomass conversion. However, the 1.0× dose yielded the most favorable economic outcome, generating a net profit of Rp. 10,780,200 and an R/C ratio of 1.47, suggesting optimal cost-efficiency. These findings underscore the dual benefits of NPK compound fertilizer in sweet corn cultivation, highlighting that precise dosage not only maximizes agronomic performance but also enhances economic viability. The study recommends adopting the 1.0× dose for balanced productivity and profitability, while the 1.25× dose may be considered in contexts prioritizing yield maximization.

References

Adiaha, M. S., & Agba, O. A. (2016). Influence of different methods of fertilizer application on the growth of maize (Zea mays L.) for increase production in South Nigeria. World Scientific News, 54, 73–86.

Agussalim, A. A. R., Rafiudin, R., & Yassi, A. (2022). The application of several organic fertilizers for production increase and brix content of sweet corn (Zea mays L. Saccharate). International Journal of Agriculture System, 10(1), 1–12.

Alley, M. M., Martz, M. E., Davis, P. H., & Hammons, J. L. (2009). Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization of corn.

Brown, B., Hart, J., Horneck, D., & Moore, A. (2010). Nutrient management for field corn silage and grain. University of Idaho Extension: Twin Falls, ID, USA.

Bundy, L. G. (2004). Corn fertilization. Extension University of Wisconsin.

Feng, X., Pan, L., Wang, Q., Liao, Z., Wang, X., Zhang, X., … Lu, Y. (2020). Nutritional and physicochemical characteristics of purple sweet corn juice before and after boiling. PLoS One, 15(5), e0233094. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233094

Kaiser, D. E., Fernandez, F., Wilson, M., Coulter, J. A., & Piotrowski, K. (2020). Fertilizing corn in Minnesota. University of Minnesota Extension.

Lu, L., Chen, Y., Lu, L., Lu, Y., & Li, L. (2015). Transcriptome analysis reveals dynamic changes in the gene expression of tobacco seedlings under low potassium stress. Journal of Genetics, 94(3), 397–406.

Mfilinge, A., Mtei, K., & Ndakidemi, P. (2014). Effect of rhizobium inoculation and supplementation with phosphorus and potassium on growth and total leaf chlorophyll (chl) content of bush bean Phaseolus vulgaris L. Agricultural Sciences, 5(14), 1413–1426. https://doi.org/10.4236/as.2014.514152

Nurliawati, G., & Faqih, A. (2024). The effect of crop spacing and dosage of potassium fertilizer on growth and yield of sweet corn (Zea mays var. Saccharata Sturt) Bonanza cultivar. Devotion: Journal of Research & Community Service, 5(2).

Pangaribuan, D. H., & Sarno, S. (2020). Effects of chicken compost and KCl fertilizer on growth, yield, post-harvest quality of sweet corn and soil health. Agrivita, 42(1), 131–142.

Qin, W., Wang, D., Guo, X., Yang, T., & Oenema, O. (2015). Productivity and sustainability of rainfed wheat-soybean system in the North China Plain: Results from a long-term experiment and crop modelling. Scientific Reports, 5(1), 17514. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep17514

Rao, K. S., Singh, S., Chandra, K. R., & Dawson, J. (2021). Effect of nitrogen and foliar application of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on growth and yield of baby corn (Zea mays L.). International Journal of Plant & Soil Science, 33, 55–61.

Revilla, P., Anibas, C. M., & Tracy, W. F. (2021). Sweet corn research around the world 2015–2020. Agronomy, 11, 534. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11030534

Ruanjaichon, V., Khammona, K., Thunnom, B., Suriharn, K., Kerdsri, C., Aesomnuk, W., … Toojinda, T. (2021). Identification of gene associated with sweetness in corn (Zea mays L.) by genome-wide association study (GWAS) and development of a functional SNP marker for predicting sweet corn. Plants, 10(6), 1239. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061239

Samudin, S., & Rauf, A. (2025). The response of dongan cultivar to the application of NPK fertilizer and liquid organic fertilizer (POC). IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1497(1), 012011. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1497/1/012011

Schlichting, A. F., Bonfim-Silva, E. M., Silva, M. D. C., Pietro-Souza, W., da Silva, T. J., & Farias, L. D. N. (2015). Efficiency of portable chlorophyll meters in assessing the nutritional status of wheat plants. Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental, 19, 1148–1151.

Shapiro, C. A., Ferguson, R. B., Hergert, G. W., Dobermann, A., & Wortmann, C. S. (2003). Fertilizer suggestions for corn. Lincoln, NE, USA: Cooperative Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Suliman, H. M., Yousif, S. H., & Yousif, K. H. (2020). Response of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) to the application of microbial inoculants and organic fertilizers. Journal of Duhok University, 23(2), 71–77.

Tabri, F. (2010). Pengaruh pupuk N, P, K terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil jagung hibrida dan komposit pada tanah inseptisol endoaquepts Kabupaten Barru Sulawesi Selatan. Prosiding Pekan Serealia Nasional, 2010.

Taha, R. S., Seleiman, M. F., Alotaibi, M., Bushra, A. A., Rady, M. M., & Mahdi, A. H. A. (2020). Exogenous potassium treatments elevate salt tolerance and performances of Glycine max L. by boosting antioxidant defense system under actual saline field conditions. Agronomy, 10(11), 1741. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10111741

Xie, S., Yang, F., Feng, H., Yu, Z., Wei, X., Liu, C., & Wei, C. (2022). Potential to reduce chemical fertilizer application in tea plantations at various spatial scales. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(9), 5243. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095243