The Use of Mathematical Model to Predict Levels of N and K for Optimum Yield

Abstract

Sometimes, yield from a commercial plantation is reduced because of inadequate availability of fertilisers to the plant due to various reasons such as poor quality of fertilizers used, loss of fertilizers in the field during cultivation due to natural causes etc. One way of preventing such loss in yield is to apply remedial fertiliser doses in the field in an intermediate stage of cultivation. To implement such a method effectively, a mathematical model has been proposed in this work. The model first determines the amount of fertilisers needed at the beginning of cultivation to optimize yield. It then ascertains at an intermediate stage of cultivation whether the plant receives adequate fertilisers for producing optimum yield. In case it is found out that required fertilisers are not available to the plant, the model decides how much more remedial fertilizer doses should be applied at the intermediate stage so that yield will not be affected. A potato plantation has been considered to illustrate the applicability of the proposed mathematical model.