Comparative effects of poultry manure and NPK top dress with urea on growth and yield of maize

Abstract

ABSTRACT

 The study aimed at determining the effects of poultry manure and NPK top dress with urea on the growth and yield of maize. The experiment was conducted using soil collected from a home soil and the Teaching and Research Farm of Kwara State University. The treatments included a Control, NPK, NPK 15-15 -15 RD (100% top dressed N with prilled urea), NPK 15-15 -15 RD (100% top dressed N with granular urea), NPK 15-15 -15 RD (100% top dressed N with neem- coated urea) and Poultry manure 10 t/ha. Treatments were laid out in a completely randomized design with three replications. Results show that application of different fertilizers improved soil chemical properties and maize growth and yield in both experimental soils; however, urea fertilizer top- dressed with NPK showed better maize growth than poultry manure. The study demonstrates that application of NPK top-dressed with granular urea and neem-coated urea significantly improved maize growth and kernel weight. This is attributed to the steady release of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, which supports cell division and growth. The effect of NPK top-dressed with nitrogen sources on soil fertility was positive, as it increased soil N, exchangeable K, organic carbon, and clay content after harvest. 

Keywords: Maize, NPK fertilizer, Poultry manure, Urea