Maize
for staple food and Export
Maize is grown all over Africa and the most suitable planting fertiliser is NPK. There are several maize NPK formulations, and many of them are designed by local agronomists from the Ministry of Agriculture meny decades ago, for each and every country.
Traditional maize planting fertilisers contain high amounts of Phosphorus as well as proper amount of Nitrogen. In many cases fertiliser also contains Potassium and Sulphur.
Typical African maize NPK planting fertilisers are:
NPK 7-14-7+8S
NPK 10-20-10+6S
NPK 12-24-12
NPK 23-21-0+4S
NPK 23-23-0
Potassium source can be MOP or SOP, as maize is not so sensitive to Cl. If NPK must contain Sulphur, SOP is sometimes used as a raw material for S.
Typical recommendation for maize fertilisation is : 40 kg/ha Nitrogen and 40 kg/ha Phosphorous (P2O5). All P2O5 is applied at planting time, and N is applied in two split applications and planting time and the balance approx 4 weeks later.
For top dressing, different Nitrogen fertilisers are used, and the most common products are CAN 26-27 % N and urea 46 % N . Also Ammonium Sulphate 21 % N can be used, specially when additional S is required.