Assessment of the Fertilizing Properties of Rabbit Urine Combined with Cattle Manure on the Growth and Yield of Maize

Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate the fertilizing properties of rabbit urine combined with cattle manure on the growth and yield of maize. The study was conducted between January and June 2024, in a real-world setting located in the natural region of Buyogoma, within the central plateaus agro-ecological zone, at the Provincial Office of Environment, Agriculture, and Livestock of Cankuzo in Burundi. The study was carried out using a randomized complete block experimental design. Five randomized treatments were used: a control without fertilizer (T0), cattle manure alone (T1), cattle manure combined with rabbit urine diluted 5 times (T2), cattle manure with rabbit urine diluted 2 times (T3), and cattle manure with undiluted rabbit urine (T4). The collected and analyzed data included maize plant growth parameters (number of leaves, plant height, and number of ears) and dry grain yield. The results showed that treatment T3, using urine diluted twice, recorded the highest number of leaves with 10.42±0.64, and significantly greater plant heights of 38.36±0.949 cm, 126.39±24.606 cm, and 191.250±8.290 cm at 4, 8, and 13 weeks after sowing, respectively. Similarly, the highest average number of ears, 1.67±0.476, was also produced under treatment T3, which included urine diluted twice in addition to cattle manure. The highest average dry grain yield was also observed under treatment T3, closely followed by treatment T4, with yields of 4.066±0.055 t/ha and 4.032±0.074 t/ha respectively, both significantly higher than the other treatments. In contrast, the control treatment (T0), which received no fertilizer, recorded the lowest yield at 0.128±0.003 t/ha. This study therefore highlights the positive effect of using rabbit urine as a liquid fertilizer combined with cattle manure, contributing to improved growth and yield of maize.