EFFECT OF INCORPORATED LEGUMES AND NPK FERTILIZER ON MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) NUTRIENT UPTAKE IN TUMU, GOMBE STATE

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research farm of the Leventist Company, Tumu, Gombe State, Nigeria during the 2015 and 2016 wet seasons to investigate the effects of integrated application of green manure and mineral fertilizers. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The experimental area was 18 m x 45 m (810 m²), the gross plot size was 5 m x 4 m (20 m²), 1 m and 0.5 m was left between block and plots, respectively. The treatments comprised of Centrosema (T₁); Centrosema + N₆₀ P₃₀ K₁₅ kg ha^-1 (T₂); Lablab (T₃); Lablab + N₆₀ P₃₀ K₁₅ kg ha^-1 (T4); Mucuna (T₅); Mucuna + N₆₀ P₃₀ K₁₅ kg ha^-1 (T6); Sesbania (T₇); Sesbania + N₆₀ P₃₀ K₁₅ kg ha^-1 (T₈); recommended N₁₂₀ P₆₀ K₃₀  kg ha^-1 fertilizer (T₉) and Control (T₁₀). Maize (variety SYN 8 PVA) was used as test crop.  The results revealed that the uptake of N, P and K by both stover and grain of maize were statistically significant (p? 0.05).  The highest nutrient uptake was recorded from treatment T₄ (lablab + N₆₀ P₃₀ K₁₅ kg ha^-1) and the lowest value was obtained from the control. The overall result suggests that green manures in combination with N₆₀ P₃₀ K₁₅ kg ha^-1 inorganic fertilizer can be used as an alternative option to sole inorganic fertilization to achieve maximum values of nutrient uptake of maize.  Integration of organic and inorganic fertilizers was better than using organic or inorganic fertilizer separately.