ASSESSMENT OF INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR IMPROVING SOIL FERTILITY AND MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) PRODUCTIVITY

Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) has become an important strategy for maintaining soil fertility while increasing crop productivity under sustainable agricultural systems. This study evaluated the influence of different nutrient management practices on maize growth, yield, and selected soil fertility parameters. Four treatments were investigated: control (no fertilizer), chemical fertilizer alone, organic manure alone, and a combination of chemical fertilizer with organic manure. A randomized complete block design with three replications was employed during one cropping season. Growth parameters, grain yield, soil organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were measured. The combined application of chemical fertilizer and organic manure significantly improved plant height, leaf area, grain yield, and soil fertility compared with the other treatments. Soil organic carbon increased by approximately 18% under integrated nutrient management relative to chemical fertilizer alone. Grain yield was highest (6.45 t ha) in the integrated treatment compared with 5.20 t ha under chemical fertilizer, 4.12 t ha under organic manure, and 2.85 t ha in the control. The findings indicate that integrating organic and inorganic nutrient sources enhances nutrient availability, improves soil quality, and promotes sustainable maize production.