Effect of Compost Made from Decomposing Cocoa Pod and Animal Dung on the Yield of Maize Crop

Abstract

Ondo State has the largest production of cocoa in Nigeria, cocoa pod on most cocoa plantation in the state are usually left as an environmental nuisance on the cocoa plantation. Effect of compost made from decomposing cocoa pod and animal dung on the yield of maize crop were investigated for nine weeks. Cocoa pods were decomposed using animal dung (poultry droppings, pig and cow dung) in ratio 3:1 of cocoa pod to each of the animal dung. Cocoa pod and poultry droppings mixture has the highest bacterial, fungal and yeast population of 2.6 x10 6-2.9 x 10 6 (cfu/ml), 8.4 x10 5-9.2 x 10 5 (sfu/ml) and 4.0 x10 4-12.0 x 10 4 (cfu/ml). It also had the highest moisture content (88.81%) and temperature (35 0 C) among the composting materials. Fifteen bacteria and thirteen fungi were isolated during the decomposition; common microorganisms that occur throughout decomposition were Bacillus sp, Pseudomonas sp, Escherichia coli, Staphylococus aureus, Serratia Sp, Fusarium sp, Mucor sp, Tricoderma sp, Aspergillus sp, Cladosporum sp and Neurospora sp. The pH of decomposing samples ranged from 6.10 to 7.81 at the initial stage of decomposition and pH of 7.79-9.07 at maturity of the compost. Poultry cocoa compost has the highest NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) content of 1.345, 7.955 and 23.016 (mg/kg) respectively. Experimental setup was carried out in the field and in the screen house which the cocoa pod compost and NPK fertilizer was use to plant yellow and white maize. The compost fertilizer had a better better output than the NPK fertilizer. Height-350cm, grithy-8cm, cob-15 (big and strong) colour of maize plant (deep green leaves) while height-320cm, grith-4cm, cob-10 (small and colour of maize plant (greenish yellow leaves) for the cocoa compost and NPK fertilizer respectively were at the field Cocoa pod and poultry droppings mixture has the highest of the yellow and white maize (136cm and 126cm) respectively while the NPK sample has the lowest height of 55cm and 50 cm respectively of yellow and white maize.