INTEGRATING CATTLE MANURE WITH SUGARCANE BAGASSE ASH OR LIME IN MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) FIELD ENHANCES MAIZE GROWTH AND YIELD

Abstract

Different application levels of decomposed cattle manure, sugarcane bagasse ash and lime used as soil conditioners were integrated and their effects determined on maize growth and yield. The research used a Randomized Complete Block Design with factorial arrangement of treatments replicated thrice for two seasons. Maize height of 2.44 m was attained in the long rain season from application of five tonnes sugarcane bagasse ash per hectare and 2.40 m from their interaction five tonnes sugarcane bagasse ash per hectare with five tonnes decomposed cattle manure per hectare. Root length in plots where no amendments were applied remained significantly lower than amended plots. Significantly higher (P ? 0.05) maize grain yield of 5178.5 kg ha^-1 was obtained from the interaction two tonnes lime per hectare with five tonnes decomposed cattle manure per hectare. The interaction five tonnes sugarcane bagasse ash per hectare with five tonnes decomposed cattle manure per hectare resulted in grain yield of 4632 kg ha^-1 which was higher than two tonnes lime per hectare 4352 kg ha^-1 and treatments with no amendments applied yielded 2140 kg ha^-1. Above ground biomass (stover) weight of 4801 kg kg^-1 resulted from the interaction five tonnes sugarcane bagasse ash per hectare with ten tonnes decomposed cattle manure per hectare was higher than no amendment 2122 kg kg^-1. The combined use of the decomposed cattle manure and lime or sugarcane bagasse ash at different levels improves maize growth and yield higher than application of sole lime or sugarcane bagasse ash.