Soil Properties and Grain Yield of Maize as Influenced by Organic Wastes Amendment in Abakaliki, South East Nigeria

Abstract

Soil properties and grain yield of maize as influenced by amendment of rice mill wastes and saw dust were studied at the Teaching and Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources Management, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. The field was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD). The treatments were burnt rice mill waste (BRMW), unburnt rice waste (URMW), sawdust (SD) and control (C) which were applied at 20 t ha^-1 equivalent to 8 kg/plot. The treatments were replicated five times. Maize (Oba super II hybrid variety) was used as a test crop. Core and auger were used to collect soil samples at 0-20 cm depth before and after planting for soil properties determination. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means were separated with Fisher’s least significant difference. Result showed that bulk density was significantly (P<0.05) lower in wastes amended plots relative to control. Total porosity, hydraulic conductivity and gravimetric moisture content (GMC) of wastes amended plots were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the control. The total porosity, hydraulic conductivity and gravimetric moisture content were 26, 39 and 38 % higher in sawdust amended plots relative to control, respectively. Hydraulic conductivity under saw dust treatment was 14 and 23% higher relative to burnt rice mill waste (BRMW) and unburnt rice mill waste (URMW) amendments. Similarly, percent organic matter, available P, CEC and % BS of wastes amended soil were significantly (P < 0.05) higher when compared to control. Available P and total N were 64 and 56 % higher for URMW amended plots when compared to BRMW and SD treatments, respectively. Organic wastes amendment produced taller maize plants at 14, 28, 42, 56 and 70 days after planting. Unburnt rice mill waste and burnt rice mill waste significantly (P<0.05) increased grained yield of maize compared to control and sawdust treatment.  Organic wastes positively influenced physicochemical properties of soil and increased yield of maize. Rice mill wastes and sawdust could be recommended for enhancement of soil physicochemical properties and grain yield of maize in Abakalik agroecology.

Keywords: Amendment, influenced, grain yield of maize, organic wastes, soil properties.