Abstract
During integrated nutrient management involving poultry manure (PM) and urea fertilizer (UF) for maize (Zea mays L.), it is necessary to investigate the best time to apply UF that will optimize soil chemical properties, growth, and yield of maize. Hence, studies were carried out to investigate the effect of different rates of PM and single and split applications (SA) of UF on soil chemical properties, growth, and yield of maize. The treatment involved three levels of PM (0.0, 4.0, and 8.0 t·ha−1) and four sets of periods of UF: (i) 0 kg N ha−1 (control), (ii) 120 kg N ha−1 applied at planting (AP), (iii) two SA of 120 kg N ha−1 (90 kg N ha−1 applied AP + 30 kg N ha−1 at thirty days after planting (DAP)), and (iv) three SA of 120 kg N ha−1 (60 kg N ha−1 applied AP + 30 kg N ha−1 thirty DAP + 30 kg N ha−1 at tasseling). The 12 treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. PM and UF alone and integrating UF with PM improved soil chemical properties, growth, and yield of maize compared with the control. SA of UF three times (60 + 30 + 30) had the most improved soil chemical properties, growth, and yield of maize. Results also showed that maize yielded higher under UF integrated with PM compared with their sole forms. Application of 60 + 30+30 with 8 t ha−1PM (60 + 30+30 + 8 t ha−1PM) or with 4 t ha−1PM treatments showed the highest growth and yield of maize, but due to the bulkiness, handling challenges, and cost of PM, 60 + 30+30 + 4 t ha−1PM is recommended. Therefore, for better growth and yield of maize, after the initial application of PM, UF application should be split-applied in accordance with plant growth and the pattern of uptake to avoid losses by leaching and therefore ensured that N level in the soil is high at the critical stage of N demand.
Highlights
Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important cereal crop worldwide especially in developing countries where it is eaten as a staple food
Site II has lower sand and greater percentages of silt and clay relative to Site I. Soils at both sites were low in organic matter (OM), N and P. e exchangeable bases K, Ca, and Mg were adequate according to the critical level of 3.0% OM, 0.2.0% N, 10.0 mg kg−1 P, 0.16–0.20 cmol kg−1 K, 2.0 cmol kg−1Ca, and 0.40 cmol kg−1 Mg recommended for crop production in the agroecological zone [22]
Because the yield between 4 and 8 t ha−1PM in combination with 60 + 30+30 urea fertilizer was statistically similar and due to the bulkiness, handling challenges, and cost of poultry manure, 4 t ha−1PM with the split application of urea fertilizer three times (60 + 30 + 30) is recommended. Results of this experiment showed that PM, N fertilizer, and integrating N fertilizer with poultry manure improved soil chemical properties, growth, and yield of maize compared with the control
Summary
Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important cereal crop worldwide especially in developing countries where it is eaten as a staple food. E grains can be consumed, roasted, baked, fried, ponded, and porridges It is an important source of industrial products like corn sugar, porridges, beverages, bread, and snacks [1]. Due to its importance in Nigeria, the area under maize production has increased over the years from about 438,000 ha in 1981 to over 3.3 million ha in 2009 [3]. Despite the increase in area under maize production in Nigeria, the amount produced cannot meet the demand for it. One of the major problems of the low harvest of maize in Nigeria is that of inherently poor soil. Poor soil fertility is the major cause behind low crop yield including e Scientific World Journal maize. One of the ways of increasing the yield per unit area of soil is by the addition of external input including organic and chemical fertilizers
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