The Balance of Nutrition with Particular Reference to the Level of Supply of Nitrogen and Phosphorus

Abstract

As part of the overall programme of research directed towards an understanding of fertilizer needs of crop plants in East Africa a study of the nutrition of maize in sand culture has been made. The purpose of the work was to study growth and yield in relation to changes in the proportion and concentration of the major nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and if possible to relate the results to the field behaviour of the crop in fertilizer trials conducted by another section of this organization. Simultaneously studies of the uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus were also undertaken. These latter are discussed in the second paper of this series.