Pilot Study on a Liquid Mineral Foliar Fertilizer Mixed with Herbicides for Maize Protection and Nutrition

The purpose of this study was to develop a complex composition of a foliar liquid mineral fertilizer containing NPK macroelements and microelements including Fe, Mg, B, S, Zn, Cu, Mo, Ni, V, and Cr. This complex fertilizer aims to support the optimal development and maturation of maize crops, thereby enhancing both the quality and quantity of production. In our study, an original recipe was established for a complex composition of foliar liquid mineral fertilizer, and a technological process was developed in order to obtain the recipe at the laboratory level. The designed fertilizer was a complex mixture of fertilizers with herbicides with multiple purposes, which can be used in different pedo-climatic areas and which present, at the same time, low toxicity and minimal ecological impact. A wide-spectrum mixture DICOPUR TOP containing 2,4-D acid and Dicamba was chosen as a systemic herbicide which is absorbed by plants both in the root system and also on the leaves. For conditioning the complex mixture of fertilizers with herbicides, different types of polyvinyl alcohol with different degrees of hydrolysis were used. The liquid fertilizer mixture with DICOPUR TOP was applied over two years (2021 and 2022) to the Felix maize hybrid, demonstrating significant positive effects on grain yield while effectively controlling both dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous weeds.