scholarly journals Effects of Cow Dung Treated to Various Management Practices and Nitrogen Levels on Maize Grain Yield in the Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Tanimu ◽  
Edward O. Uyovbisere ◽  
Sunday W. J. Lyocks ◽  
Yahuza Tanimu ◽  
Michael O. Ayorinde
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Luiza Privado Martins ◽  
Glécio Machado Siqueira ◽  
Emanoel Gomes de Moura ◽  
Raimunda Alves Silva ◽  
Anágila Janenis Cardoso Silva ◽  
...  

Soil fauna play an important role in ecosystems, and in this context, it is important to better understand how the abiotic and biotic drivers of these organisms interact. We hypothesize that soil fauna are affected by different soil management practices, which has an influence on maize grain yields. The aim of this study was to evaluate the structure of soil fauna under different soil management practices and their associations with maize grain yield. The experiment was conducted in Maranhão, Brazil, in an area divided into 24 plots of 4 × 10 m in a randomized block design with six treatments with four replicates (R). Pitfall traps were placed in the area. The treatments were Leucaena leucocephala-Leucaena (L), nitrogen (N), humic acid + nitrogen (HA + N), nitrogen + Leucaena (N + L), humic acid + Leucaena (HA + L) and humic acid + nitrogen + Leucaena (HA + N + L). The soil fauna dominance, abundance, richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Pielou evenness index and maize grain yield were determined. Formicidae was clearly affected by management with Leucaena, while Coleoptera was affected by management with nitrogen. Despite this, Isopoda and Diplura were the only groups associated with the maize yield. Although fauna abundance did not differ among treatments, it was related to the yield. This study confirms that the abundance and some taxa of soil fauna can influence yield and that these organisms can be used to increase agricultural sustainability.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Ita ◽  
E Ariga ◽  
R Michieka ◽  
W Muiru

Weed management practices used by small scale farmers determine maize productivity. The trials were executed in Kigumo district during the long and short rains in 2010 to compare effectiveness of glyphosate and hand weeding on weed management in maize (Zea mays L.). Treatments were arranged in a Completely Randomized Complete Block Design replicated three times in a split plot arrangement. The main plots were two maize varieties DUMA SC 41 and DK 8031 and the subplots three weed management practices,(glyphosate, hand weeding and no tillage). Data collected included weed count by species,fresh and dry weed biomass and maize grain yield. Data was subjected to ANOVA using Genstat computer software package at P<0.05. Treatments means were separated by Student-Newman Keuls Test. Results revealed that there were significant differences in weed count among weed management practices (P < 0.05). Weeds, significantly established faster under hand weeding than other weed management practices. There were no significant differences among weed management practices in biomass and maize grain yield (P < 0.05). The two maize varieties significantly differed in grain yield under different weed management practices, DK 8031 under glyphosate had the highest yield among the tillage practices involved.


Author(s):  
I. J. Dantata ◽  
B. K. Adam ◽  
B. H. Kabura

Field trials were carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria during the 2014 and 2015 rainy seasons to study the performance of maize in maize/watermelon intercrop under varied row arrangements and cow dung rates in a Sudan Savanna Agro-ecology. The treatments consisted of factorial combinations of three row arrangements of maize: watermelon (1:1,1:2 and 2:1) and five levels of cow dung rates (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20t per ha) laid out in a split plot design and replicated three times. Cow dung was assigned to the main plots while row arrangements were assigned to the sub plots. The parameters of maize studied were: number of cobs per plant, cob length, cob diameter, 100 grain weight and grain yield per ha. The results showed that 1:2 row arrangement gave significantly greater cob diameter of maize. While 2:1 row arrangement gave significantly higher maize grain yield per ha. Application of 10t cow dung per ha to the mixture was found to be optimum for the maize grain yield per ha. The interaction or combination of 2:1 row arrangement and 10t cow dung per ha was optimum for the grain yield per ha. Based on the results of the present study, 2:1 row arrangement with application of 10t cow dung per ha should be adopted for growing of maize in intercrop with watermelon in the Sudan Savanna environment.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (21) ◽  
pp. 4924
Author(s):  
Dibakar Ghosh ◽  
Koushik Brahmachari ◽  
Milan Skalicky ◽  
Akbar Hossain ◽  
Sukamal Sarkar ◽  
...  

Declining rate of productivity and environmental sustainability is forcing growers to use organic manures as a source of nutrient supplement in maize farming. However, weed is a major constraint to maize production. A field study was carried out over two seasons to evaluate various integrated nutrient and weed management practices in hybrid maize. The treatment combinations comprised of supplementation of inorganic fertilizer (25% nitrogen) through bulky (Farmyard manure and vermicompost) and concentrated (Brassicaceous seed meal (BSM) and neem cake (NC)) organic manures and different mode of weed management practices like chemical (atrazine 1000 g ha−1) and integrated approach (atrazine 1000 g ha−1 followed by mechanical weeding). Repeated supplementation of nitrogen through concentrated organic manures reduced the density and biomass accumulation of most dominant weed species, Anagalis arvensis by releasing allelochemicals into the soil. But organic manures had no significant impact on restricting the growth of bold seeded weeds like Vicia hirsuta and weed propagated through tubers i.e., Cyperus rotundus in maize. By restricting the weed growth and nutrient removal by most dominating weeds, application of BSM enhanced the growth and yield of maize crop. Repeated addition of organic manures (BSM) enhanced the maize grain yield by 19% over sole chemical fertilizer in the second year of study. Application of atrazine as pre-emergence (PRE) herbicide significantly reduced the density of A. arvensis, whereas integration of mechanical weeding following herbicide controlled those weeds which were not usually controlled with the application of atrazine. As a result, atrazine at PRE followed by mechanical weeding produced the highest maize grain yield 6.81 and 7.10 t/ha in the first year and second year of study, respectively.


Food Security ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1269-1282
Author(s):  
Charles Bucagu ◽  
Alain Ndoli ◽  
Athanase R. Cyamweshi ◽  
Leon N. Nabahungu ◽  
Athanase Mukuralinda ◽  
...  

AbstractSmallholder maize growers are experiencing significant yield gaps due to sub-optimal agricultural practices. Adequate agricultural inputs, particularly nutrient amendments and best management practices, are essential to reverse this trend. There is a need to understand the cause of variations in maize yield, provide reliable early estimates of yields, and make necessary recommendations for fertilizer applications. Maize yield prediction and estimates of yield gaps using objective and spatial analytical tools could provide accurate and objective information that underpin decision support. A study was conducted in Rwanda at Nyakiliba sector and Gashora sector located in Birunga and Central Bugesera agro-ecological zones, with the objectives of (1) determining factors influencing maize yield, (2) predicting maize yield (using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) approach), and (3) assessing the maize yield gaps and the impact on food security. Maize grain yield was significantly higher at Nyakiliba (1.74 t ha−1) than at Gashora (0.6 t ha−1). NDVI values correlated positively with maize grain yield at both sites (R2 = 0.50 to 0.65) and soil fertility indicators (R2 = 0.55 to 0.70). Maize yield was highest at 40 kg P ha−1 and response to N fertilizer was adequately simulated at Nyakiliba (R2 = 0.85, maximum yield 3.3 t ha−1). Yield gap was 4.6 t ha−1 in Nyakiliba and 5.1 t ha−1 in Gashora. Soil variables were more important determinants of social class than family size. Knowledge that low nutrient inputs are a major cause of yield gaps in Rwanda should prioritize increasing the rate of fertilizer use in these agricultural systems.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 673-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. KERMAH ◽  
A. C. FRANKE ◽  
B. D. K. AHIABOR ◽  
S. ADJEI-NSIAH ◽  
R. C. ABAIDOO ◽  
...  

SUMMARYSoil nutrient constraints coupled with erratic rainfall have led to poor crop yields and occasionally to crop failure in sole cropping in the Guinea savanna of West Africa. We explored different maize-grain legume diversification and intensification options that can contribute to mitigating risks of crop failure, increase crop productivity under different soil fertility levels, while improving soil fertility due to biological N2-fixation by the legume. There were four relay patterns with cowpea sown first and maize sown at least 2 weeks after sowing (WAS) cowpea; two relay patterns with maize sown first and cowpea sown at least 3 WAS maize in different spatial arrangements. These were compared with groundnut-maize, soybean–maize, fallow-maize and continuous maize rotations in fields high, medium and poor in fertility at a site each in the southern (SGS) and northern (NGS) Guinea savanna of northern Ghana. Legumes grown in the poorly fertile fields relied more on N2-fixation for growth leading to generally larger net N inputs to the soil. Crop yields declined with decreasing soil fertility and were larger in the SGS than in the NGS due to more favourable rainfall and soil fertility. Spatial arrangements of relay intercrops did not have any significant impact on maize and legume grain yields. Sowing maize first followed by a cowpea relay resulted in 0.18–0.26 t ha−1 reduction in cowpea grain yield relative to cowpea sown from the onset. Relaying maize into cowpea led to a 0.29–0.64 t ha−1 reduction in maize grain yield relative to maize sown from the onset in the SGS. In the NGS, a decline of 0.66 and 0.82 t ha−1 in maize grain yield relative to maize sown from the onset was observed due to less rainfall received by the relay maize. Groundnut and soybean induced 0.38–1.01 t ha−1 more grain yield of a subsequent maize relative to continuous maize, and 1.17–1.71 t ha−1 more yield relative to relay maize across both sites. Accumulated crop yields over both years suggest that sowing maize first followed by cowpea relay is a promising ecological intensification option besides the more common legume–maize rotation in the Guinea savanna, as it was comparable with soybean–maize rotation and more productive than the other treatments.


2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-430
Author(s):  
T. Árendás ◽  
L. C. Marton ◽  
P. Bónis ◽  
Z. Berzsenyi

The effect of varying weather conditions on the moisture content of the maize grain yield was investigated in Martonvásár, Hungary from late August to late September, and from the 3rd third of September to the 1st third of Novemberbetween 1999 and 2002. In every year a close positive correlation (P=0.1%) could be observed between the moisture content in late September and the rate of drying down in October. Linear regression was used each year to determine the equilibrium moisture content, to which the moisture content of kernels returned if they contained less than this quantity of water in late September and harvesting was delayed. In the experimental years this value ranged from 15.24-19.01%.


2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 268
Author(s):  
Jun-Hong XIE ◽  
Ling-Ling LI ◽  
Ren-Zhi ZHANG ◽  
Qiang CHAI

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