Effects of Cow Dung on the Growth and Development of Maize Crop

Abstract

Greenhouse and Field experiments were conducted at the Institute for Agricultural Research and Samaru College of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The objectives of the experiments were to evaluate the combine effects of cow dung subjected to different management practices and Urea fertilizer on some Maize growth parameters and to observe the residual effects of the cow dung in the second year. The experiment was a factorial experiment, 3 management practices, 4 duration of storage, and 2 nitrogen levels, laid out in a Randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The Greenhouse study revealed that, combining cow dung subjected to different management practices (pit covered May and surface heaped uncovered June) and Urea at 45 kg N ha-1 gave significantly (P < 0.05) higher dry matter yield and surface heaped covered April treatment gave taller plants, which were statistically at par with NPK treatment (120 kg N ha-1). The results of the field studies for the two years were consistent on the dry matter yield and plant height. The field studies showed that, the direct effect, N amended surface heaped covered April gave the highest Maize Stover yield for the two seasons, while on the residual effect, N amended, the surface heaped uncovered March treatments gave the highest stove yields. On plant height, the direct effect N amended surface heaped uncovered May treatments gave significantly taller plants than all other treatments in the two seasons. While on the residual effect, the surface heaped covered April treatment was the one that gave taller plants in the two seasons.