Growth Response Relationship of Maize under Different Nutrients Substrates on Volcanic Soils in the Western Flank of Mt. Cameroon

Abstract

The substitution of costly inorganic fertilizers with readily available organic inputs will be of great relief to subsistent farmers. The study evaluated the response of maize (Zea mays L.) Hybrid (F1) to varied fertilizer materials notably Tithonia diversifolia fresh residues, poultry manure and NPK in the Western slope of Mount Cameroon. A 4x3 randomized complete block design experiment sown with maize was laid. Soil samples were obtained from three locations on each of the plots, bulked and analyzed for their physico-chemical properties using standard methods. The maize was evaluated weekly for plant height, number of leaves, collar diameter, number of cobs, number of lines per cob and dry yield and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The soils of the area were found to be slightly acidic (pH = 6.1).  The average nitrogen content was very low (0.18%), while concentrations were low for calcium (3.70 cmol(+)/kg) and medium for magnesium (1.12 cmol(+)/kg). Plant height stood in the order of poultry (7.9cm) > Tithonia diversifolia (6.1cm) > Control (5.54cm) > NPK (5.39cm).  However, from the 9th to 10th week, significant increases in plant height were noticed in the treatment with Tithonia spp. The number of cobs per plant were not significantly different (p>0.05) across the three treatments. The cob circumference and grain yields were significantly higher (p<0.5) for poultry manure. While poultry manure performed better than most of the treatment, fresh Tithonia residues have promising properties as slow-release nutrient materials for small-scale farmers with limited financial resources in the region.