A Mixed – level Factorial Experiment to Elucidate the Impact of Inorganic Fertilizers on Crop Yield.

Abstract:

Lack of nutrient in the soil affect soil fertility which can hinder the growth and yield of any crop. Therefore, soil amendment is important to improve soil nutrient either by organic or inorganic technique. In this paper, we considered different inorganic fertilizers to determine the main optimal effect and their interaction on the yield of crop by adoption of mixed – level factorial experiment. Three inorganic fertilizers namely Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K) were considered each at different levels using tomatoes crop for investigation. We set – up a multiple linear model to match with the design. We estimated the model parameters with the error component and sums of squares. A 2×3×4 design structure for factorial combinations of factor N at two levels, factor P at three levels, and factor K at four levels using a randomized complete block design with three replications was developed. Normality of the data was tested and factors visualization for both main and interaction effects were illustrated by the use of graphs. Result revealed that Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K) concentration are significant while Phosphorous (P) concentration is not, and the effect of two – factor interactions for NP and PK are not significant and NK is significant which signified that the yields does not depend on the levels irrespective of the factor. Based on the results, we concluded that phosphorous is the best inorganic fertilizer than Nitrogen and Potassium in terms of soil nutrient for the yield of crop.