Abstract
A field trial was carried out in the 2013 cropping season at the Teaching and Research Farm of Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria (08° 42” 48.5N and 004° 26 17.9” E ) to assess the response of early maturing maize variety (TZEE-Y) when using organic poultry manure (pm) alone or in combination with inorganic (NPK) and foliar fertilizer (ff) (boost xtra). The treatments were: pm 5.0 t ha-1 + ff, pm 2.5 t ha-1 + NPK 30 kg N + ff, NPK 60 kg N + ff, pm 5.0 t ha-1 + NPK 60 kg N, pm 10.0 t ha-1 + 60 kg N, NPK 120 kg N/ha, pm 10.0 t ha-1 and control. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. Applications of poultry manure at 10.0t ha-1 produced the highest plant height (119.57 cm2), leaf area (362.10 cm2) and cob length (17.47 cm2). However, significantly, was at par with integrated application of poultry manure at 2.5 t ha-1 mixed with NPK 30 kgN ha-1 and foliar fertilizers. As compared to other treatments, significantly shorter days (38) to 50% flowering was obtained where 2.5 t ha-1 poultry manure was combined with NPK 30 kgN/ha and foliar fertilizer. The highest grain yield (3.206 t ha-1) was obtained when pm was applied alone at 10.0 t ha-1. This was also similar to the combined application of pm at 2.5t ha-1 mixed with NPK 30 kgN ha-1 and foliar fertilizer. The results of the study indicated that combined application of pm, NPK and ff enhanced the growth and yield of maize. This integrated application will be a good soil management practice for tropical soils. Combination of pm at 2.5 t ha-1 with NPK 30 kgN ha-1 and foliar fertilizer (boost xtra) is therefore recommended for early maturing maize production in the study area. Key words: Poultry manure, foliar fertilizer, mixing, NPK fertilizer, application rate.
Highlights
Maize is an important cereal crop in Nigeria, mainly as an energy giving food with a total production of 7.3 million tons (FAO, 2007)
Was at par with integrated application of poultry manure at 2.5 t ha-1 mixed with NPK 30 kgN ha-1 and foliar fertilizers
As compared to other treatments, significantly shorter days (38) to 50% flowering was obtained where 2.5 t ha-1 poultry manure was combined with NPK 30 kgN/ha and foliar fertilizer
Summary
Maize is an important cereal crop in Nigeria, mainly as an energy giving food with a total production of 7.3 million tons (FAO, 2007). Compared to other arable crops such as millet, the nutrients requirement of maize is quite higher and constituting major constraints to its production. Application of inorganic fertilizer to increase crop growth and yield is well known since the nutrients are readily available for plant use but continuous and inappropriate use of inorganic fertilizer is harmful both to the soil and the environment. It increases soil acidity, and nutrient imbalance and pollution of underground water. In view of the well documented detrimental effects of inorganic fertilizer, its rising cost and unavailability has limited its use among poor farmers in Nigeria (Taminu et al, 2007), attention has been directed to the use of organic manure in recent times
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