Effects of Soil Fertility Status and Its Management on Productivity of Rice in Flood Plains of Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to determine the soil fertility status and productivity of rice on flood plain soils at different locations in Wukari LGA of Taraba State in the southern guinea Savanna zone of Nigeria. The treatments consisted of five locations (Gidan-Idi, Gindin-Dorowa, Tsokundi, Rafin-Kada and Nwuko) that was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and replicated three times. The field was cleared, ploughed and harrowed, and marked into plots of 5 m x 5 m with an alley of 1 m between replications and 0.5 m between plots. Rice seeds (faro 44 (sipi 6920233)) were sown by dibbling at 25 cm×20 cm intra row. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied (at 3 to 4 weeks after planting as urea at the rate of 120 kgN ha-1) by top dressing method.  Phosphorus fertilizer was also applied at 5 to 8 weeks after planting in split doses at the rate of 40 kg P2O5 ha-1 as single super phosphate and Potassium oxide fertilizer was applied 10 to 12 weeks after planting at 40 kg K2O ha-1 by top dressing method. Soil and plant data were collected and analyzed using standard procedures. The results were subjected to analysis of variance and means separated using F-LSD test. Significant (P≤0.05) differences in plant height and grain yield were observed during 2016 and 2017. Rafin-Kada recorded the highest grain yield of 8.36 tons/ha while Nwuko recorded lowest grain yield of 7.43 tons/ha in 2016. Gidan-Idi recorded the highest grain yield of 8.33 tons/ha while Gindin-Dorowa recorded lowest grain yield of 7.41 tons/ha in 2017.