Site Specific Nutrient Management for Soft Corn Varieties in the Highlands of Ecuador

Soft corn varieties for human consumption are grown in extensive areas of the highlands of South America. Farmers own small farms and phase limitations in capital and technology and grain production is generally low. However, high sustainable yields can provide adequate income to sustain the household and provide savings to invest in farm improvement.

Yield potential and nutrient needs differ among agro-ecological zones. This results in different growing conditions which require different nutrient recommendations and management. Knowing that soil testing is rarely used by farmers, a site specific nutrient management approach, based on the omission plot technique, was developed to study the influence of local agro-ecological conditions on nutrient requirements as a tool to develop fertilizer recommendations to achieve high sustainable yields.