Effects of de-oiled palm kernel cake based fertilizers on sole maize and cassava crops

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the effect of de-oiled palm kernel cake based fertilizer formulations on the yield of sole maize and cassava crops. Two de-oiled palm kernel cake based fertilizer formulations A and B were compounded from different proportions of de-oiled palm kernel cake, urea, muriate of potash and single super phosphate. Two separate experiments were performed. Experiment one tested the effect of the fertilizer formulations on maize yield parameters. The treatments were 300 and 400 kg/ha rates of the fertilizer formulations A and B and conventional NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer (C) and a control (zero fertilizer). Experiment two tested the effect of the formulations on cassava yield parameters. The treatments were as in experiment one except that the conventional NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer was used in the place of NPK 20:10:10. The experiments showed that the de-oiled palm kernel cake based fertilizer formulations improved soil physical and chemical properties. Grain yield in maize and tuber yield in cassava were increased significantly by the application of the fertilizer formulations. The 300 kg/ha rate of formulation A was found to produce the highest grain yield in maize, while 400 kg/ha rate of formulation B gave the highest tuber yield in cassava. The two de-oiled palm kernel cake based fertilizer formulations induced better yield performances in both crops than the conventional fertilizers. Nutritional values of the two crops were raised by the application of the fertilizer formulations. Key words: De-oiled seed cake, palm kernel, fertilizer.