Effect of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Pop Corn (Zea mays l.) Production and soil Physical and Chemical Properties

Abstract

A field experiments were conducted at Teaching and Research Farm of Federal University of Wukarito examine the effect of organic and inorganic fertilization on maize productivity and soil properties improvements. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), with four treatments and three replications. Popcorn is used as test crop in this experiment. The results showed that maize growth parameters such as plant height, number of leaves and leaf area were significantly affected at 5% probability level. Treatment Poultry droppings + NPK had the highest values in all the yield parameters and was significantly different from the control in both cropping seasons. Soil total organic C and total N, P, K contents increased when inorganic fertilizers were applied alone or in combined with organic manures. However, soil pH increased due to application of organic fertilizer as it provides exchangeable cations such as Ca, Mg etc. Therefore, this study suggests that an appropriate proportion of organic fertilizer with inorganic fertilizer not only for higher yield maize productionwith an assurance of improve and maintain the soil fertility and should be adopted.