ABSTRACT
The experiment was conducted in the Teaching and Research Farm unit of the Department of Agricultural Science Education, Delta State University, Abraka, (latitude 50 46’N and longitude 60 5’E) Nigeria during the 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons. The study was aimed at evaluating the comparative effects of organic mulches and mineral nitrogen application on soil moisture, soil temperature and yield and yield components of maize. Eight treatments arranged in a randomized complete block design were used. The treatments were: control, three nitrogen levels applied at 40, 80 and 120kgN/ha and four weed-based mulch supplemented with 40kgN/ha. Results showed increased soil moisture and reduced temperature with use of organic mulch. Guinea grass had the highest prime effect (-2.4) and longer duration effect of 85 days, while tropical kudzu had the lowest prime effect (-1.4) and shorter duration effect (33 days). Increasing nitrogen increased the components of yield and yield with maximum grain yield of 1292.6 kg/ha 120N. In mulch supplemented with nitrogen, tropical kudzu and stylo gave higher grain yield of 968.5 kg/ha and 946.3 kg/ha respectively compared to the grasses which recorded 872.8 kg/ha (guinea grass) and 890.6kg/ha (goose grass). The study showed that leguminous mulch has more potential of contributing to direct effect on the crop in terms of higher yield compared to grass weeds, while the grass mulch have more indirect effects in regulating soil microclimate. |
