EFFECT OF INORGANIC AND ORGANO-MINERAL FERTILIZERS ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF PEPPER (Capsicum spp.)

Screen house and field experiments were conducted in Abeokuta, south western Nigeria in 2006 and 2007 to determine the effects of different rates of inorganic and organo-mineral fertilizers (OMF) on soil chemical properties and nutrient composition of pepper. The effect of independent application of OMF at different rates and chemical fertilizer (CF) was investigated in the screen house. The experimental method was completely randomized design (CRD) with the following treatments: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8,10, 12, 14 t/ha organo-mineral fertilizer (OMF) and chemical fertilizer (CF) at the rate of 60 kg N, 19.8 kg P, 39.6 kg K/ha. Based on the results obtained from the screen house study, the following treatments arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) were used on the field: 12 t/ha organo-mineral fertilizer (100 % OMF); chemical fertilizer at 60 kg N, 16.9 kg P, 39.6 kg K/ha (100 %CF), OMF + CF (50:50), OMF + CF (25:75), OMF + CF (75:25). Parameters evaluated in the screen house were: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, pH and organic carbon contents of post-planting soil as well as number of days to 50 % flowering, fruiting and ripening, yield and vitamin C content of pepper.In addition to the above, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus contents of pepper fruit were also assessed on the field. In the screen house, application of 12 t/ha organo-mineral fertilizer increased the potassium and organic carbon contents of post planting soil to the maximum (0.03 cmol/kg and 15.8 g/kg respectively). It also enhanced the fruiting and ripening of pepper and increased the vitamin C content (48 days, 94 days and 8.78 mg/100g respectively). On the field, application of OMF + CF (75:25) increased the vitamin C in pepper in both years (7.20 and 2.60 mg/100g) as well as nitrogen content inpepper fruit (22.5 g/kg) in 2006. The concentration of phosphorus in pepper fruit in 2007 was highest (3.5 mg/kg) by the above fertilizer rate while OMF + CF (50:50) and 100 % CF increased the potassium content to 61 and 31.7 mg/kg in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Number of days to 50% pepperripening was significantly reduced to 120 by the application of OMF + CF (25:75) and OMF + CF (75:25) against 130 days in the control in 2007. Application of 100% OMF improved the phosphorus content of post planting soil in 2006 and 2007 (10.8 and 7.1 mg/kg respectively) while the highest pH (7.4) which is significantly higher than the control was observed on plots treated with the above fertilizer rate in 2006. Pepper could be grown with 100% OMF, OMF + CF (25:75), OMF + CF (75:25) orOMF + CF (50:50) for improved yield, growth, nutrient composition and improved soil qualit

Evaluation of poultry manure, cattle dung, water and cattle urine-based composts on soil chemical properties, growth and yield of Amaranthus cruentus L.

The inclusion of cattle urine in compost preparation will improve compost quality, particularly with respect to nutrient composition. Field experiments were conducted at the organic farm of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State in 2014 and 2016 to evaluate the ef­fects of water and cattle urine composts, sole poultry manure and cattle dung on post-harvest soil properties, growth and yield of Amaranthus cruentus. Treatments used were: compost derived from poultry manure + rice husk with water as source of moisture at 2.5, 5.0, 6.5 and 7.5 t ha-1, (PRW2.5, PRW5, PRW6.5 and PRW7.5 respectively), compost derived from poultry manure + rice husk with cattle urine as source of moisture at 2.5, 5.0, 5.4 and 7.5 t ha-1 (PRU2.5, PRW5, PRW5.4 and PRW7.5 respectively) and control. Post-harvest soil was analyzed for chemical properties, agronomic parameters and yield of Amaranthus cruentus were evaluated. Results showed that the application of PRU5.4 resulted in highest values for most of the agronomic parameters in both years, while the competition for highest values of post-harvest soil parame­ters was between PRW5 and PRW6.5. The highest values of Amaranthus cruentus yield in both years resulted from the application of PRU5.4 and PM3

Developing recommendations for increased productivity in cassava-maize intercropping systems in southern Nigeria

Open Access Article; Published online: 31 Aug 2021Cassava-maize intercropping is a common practice among smallholder farmers in Southern Nigeria. It provides food security and early access to income from the maize component. However, yields of both crops are commonly low in farmers’ fields. Multi-locational trials were conducted in Southern Nigeria in 2016 and 2017 to investigate options to increase productivity and profitability through increased cassava and maize plant densities and fertilizer application. Trials with 4 and 6 treatments in 2016 and 2017, respectively were established on 126 farmers’ fields over two seasons with a set of different designs, including combinations of two levels of crop density and three levels of fertilizer rates. The maize crop was tested at low density (LM) with 20,000 plants ha−1 versus high density (HM) with 40,000 plants ha−1. For cassava, low density (LC) had had 10,000 plants ha−1 versus the high density (HC) with 12,500 plants ha−1.; The fertilizer application followed a regime favouring either the maize crop (FM: 90 kg N, 20 kg P and 37 kg K ha−1) or the cassava crop (FC: 75 kg N, 20 kg P and 90 kg K ha−1), next to control without fertilizer application (F0). Higher maize density (HM) increased marketable maize cob yield by 14 % (3700 cobs ha−1) in the first cycle and by 8% (2100 cobs ha−1) in the second cycle, relative to the LM treatment. Across both cropping cycles, fertilizer application increased cob yield by 15 % (5000 cobs ha−1) and 19 % (6700 cobs ha−1) in the FC and FM regime, respectively. Cassava storage root yield increased by 16 % (4 Mg ha−1) due to increased cassava plant density, and by 14 % (4 Mg ha−1) due to fertilizer application (i.e., with both fertilizer regimes) but only in the first cropping cycle. In the second cycle, increased maize plant density (HM) reduced cassava storage root yield by 7% (1.5 Mg ha−1) relative to the LM treatment. However, the negative effect of high maize density on storage root yield was counteracted by fertilizer application. Fresh storage root yield increased by 8% (2 Mg ha−1) in both fertilizer regimes compared to the control without fertilizer application. Responses to fertilizer by cassava and maize varied between fields. Positive responses tended to decline with increasing yields in the control treatment. The average value-to-cost ratio (VCR) of fertilizer use for the FM regime was 3.6 and higher than for the FC regime (VCR = 1.6), resulting from higher maize yields when FM than when FC was applied. Revenue generated by maize constituted 84–91% of the total revenue of the cropping system. The highest profits were achieved with the FM regime when both cassava and maize were grown at high density. However, fertilizer application was not always advisable as 34 % of farmers did not realize a profit. For higher yields and profitability, fertilizer recommendations should be targeted to responsive fields based on soil fertility knowledge

Evaluation of Animal Manures on the Yield of Solanum Macrocarpon L. and Chemical Properties of Soil

Animal manures regarded as wastes could be channeled towards improving the fertility of the soil and crop production. A field experiment was conducted at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta Nigeria in 2013 to evaluate the effect of animal manures on yield and chemical properties of soil grown with Solanum macrocarpon. Treatments used were: goat manure at 10, 20 and 30t/ha (GM 10, GM 20 and GM 30 respectively), poultry manure at 10, 20 and 30t/ha (PM 10, PM 20 and PM 30 respectively), cow dung at 10, 20, 30t/ha (CD 10, CD 20 and CD 30 respectively) and control. Application of GM 30 significantly increased the height (25.90 cm), number of leaves (65), yield (248.65 g/plant) of S. macrocarpon and post harvest soil K (0.08 cmol/kg) above the control. Highest post harvest soil available phosphorus (54.58 mg/kg) and magnesium (2.47 cmol/kg) were observed from PM 30 treated plots. S. macrocarpon could be grown with either goat manure at 30t/ha or poultry manure at 30 t/ha for higher yield and improved soil quality on soils similar to the one used for the experiment