Evaluating effect of mixtures of organic resources on nutrient release patterns and uptake by maize

Abstract

To supplement high costs of inorganic fertilizers, smallholder farmers in the tropics are likely to increase the use of appropriate plant residues as an alternative source of plant nutrients especially nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). To maximize benefit accrued from these materials, synchronizing nutrient release patterns of the materials with crop’s nutrient requirements need to be understood. Consequently, this study was undertaken to: (1) evaluate the effect of plant residues on mineralization and N-release patterns, (2) evaluate the N release patterns of mixtures of low and high quality organic materials and synchrony with maize uptake. Incubation studies were established for 12 weeks using six selected plant residues: which included Leucaena leucocephala,Croton macrostachyus,Calliandra calothyrsus,Tithonia diversifolia,Sorghum bicolor and rice (Oryza sativa) husks.Soil samples were taken at 2 weeks interval for ammonium nitrogen (NH4 +-N) and nitrate nitrogen ( NO3 --N) determination.