Use of agricultural gypsum as an amendment in the cultivation of forage maize in the central valley of Tarija

Abstract

Two year experiment was carried out (2013/2014), with the objective to determine the influence of S0₄Ca in the forage biomass and in the grain yield in corn. The experiment was located in Agricultural Research Center of Chocloca and Agricultural Production Center of Charaja in Tarija, Bolivia (21°14’18.89’’ S and 64°50’37.81’’ W). Thus, a randomized block was designed with four treatments and three replicates as follow: T1) 0-0-0 without SO4Ca supply, T2) 41-46-00 and without SO4Ca supply, T3) 41-46-00 with SO₄Ca supply and T4) 00-00-00 with SO₄Ca application. For this experiment, two varieties of corn were used (Var. Compuesto 20 and Var. Erquis 2). The results showed differences among treatments (Tuckey P<0.05). Thus the best biomass production yield was for treatment, T3) 41-46-00 with SO₄Ca use and T2) 41-46-00 and without SO₄Ca use that registered 41431 kg ha^-1 and 38341 kg ha^-1 respectively. Also those treatments yielded 4907 kg ha^-1 and 4370 kg ha^-1 in grain production for. T3) 41-46-00 with SO⁴Ca supply and T2) 41-46-00 and without SO₄Ca supply, respectively. We concluded that management of corn cultivation with the application of SO₄Ca and fertilizer of 41-46-00 it can improve the yield for forage and grain of corn.