Abstract
This experiment was carried out during 2019 cropping season to evaluate the effect of cow dung rates and Sasakawa technology on the performance of maize in Mubi, Northern Guinea Savannah at Food and Agricultural Organization Tree/Crop production farm Adamawa State University, Mubi. The trial was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design replicated three times. Data was collected on fifteen characters namely: Number of leaves at 3,6 and 9 weeks after sowing also Plant height at 3,6 and 9 weeks after sowing, Cob length, Number of row per cob, Number of seed per row, Cob diameter, Cob yield, Shelling percentage, Grain weight, Grain yield and 100 Grain weight. Results showed a non-significant difference for all the fifteen (15) traits of maize T1 but T4 have better performance. Also, NL3 and NL6, T3, T4 and T5 outperformed in terms of yield, NL3 showed a highly significant positive correlation with NL6, NL9, PH3 and PH6. Cob yield also has slightly and significantly correlation with NL6, CL and NS/R. The treatments respond to variations in the rates of cow dung application during the trial period. As highly significant and positive correlation was observed for NL3, NL6, NL9, PH3, PH6, and PH9 indicating differences in the treatments applied. The experiment revealed that treatment T1, T4 and T1, T4 for NL3, and NL6 gave highest performance than other treatments, followed by T1 and T4 for NL9 which also did well in that order respectively. Cob yield was observed to performed better in T3, T4 and T5. That translates to a very good grain yields in T3 (27kg/ha-1), T4 (16.20kg/ha-1) and T5 (20kg/ha-1). This might be due to the rates of cow dung applied on these treatments. Hence, it is therefore recommended based on the results of the study to use these range of cow dung in the study area. Further research is also recommended to be done in this area for adoption by farmers.
Highlights
Maize which is popularly known as “Corn” is one of the most versatile emerging cereal cash crops having wider adaptability under variety of climatic conditions
Description of Study Area: The experiment was conducted under rain fed conditions at the food and Agricultural Organization/Tree crop plantation (FAO/TCP) .Farm of the faculty of Agriculture, Adamawa state University, Mubi lies within Latitude 100 8’N and 10030 N and Longitude 1310’E and 130 25’E at 696m above sea level is located in the Mubi Northern, Guinea savannah zone of Nigeria with annual rainfall ranger from 700mm-1000mm with peak in July to September
At 3, 6 weeks after sowing (WAS), T4 recorded the highest number of leaves (8.27 and 13.47) followed by T1 (7.47 and 13.00) respectively while T5 recorded the lowest leave number (6.60 and 11.33) respectively
Summary
Maize which is popularly known as “Corn” is one of the most versatile emerging cereal cash crops having wider adaptability under variety of climatic conditions. It is called the queen of cereals globally. The crop can be grown throughout the year in Northern Nigeria and more especially in Mubi, the study area, which is the commercial nerve center of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Maize is one of the three most important cereals grown in Nigeria along with sorghum and millet (FAOSTAT, 2010). Is one of priority crop under the flagship agricultural programs of the Nigerian government since 2012. Maize is the most important cereal crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, with rice and wheat; maize, rice and wheat, are one of the three most important cereal crops in the World (FAO, 2007)
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