The Effect of Bioameliorant Formulations on Growth and Yield of Waxy Corn in Sandy Soil

Waxy corn (Zea mays var. ceratina) can be cultivated in various soil types, including sandy soil. However, sandy soil generally has low nutrient availability and limited water-holding capacity, which may constrain crop growth and yield. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cattle manure and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) application on waxy corn growth and yield in sandy soil. The experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with five treatments and three replications. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by a least significant difference test at the 5% significance level. The results showed that the combined application of cattle manure and AMF significantly affected plant height, leaf number, shoot and root biomass, fresh and dry biomass per plot, spore number, and root colonization. The combination of 10 t ha⁻¹ cattle manure and 3 t ha⁻¹ AMF produced the highest fresh cob weight (236.66 g), dry cob weight (100.33 g), and fresh cob yield per plot (7.26 kg). This treatment was also associated with reported nitrogen and phosphorus uptake values of 0.194% and 3.164%, respectively; these values should be verified against the results tables and their units. Overall, the findings indicate that the combined application of cattle manure and AMF can improve several growth and yield parameters of waxy corn cultivated in sandy soil.