EFFECT OF DIFFERENT PLANT BIOMASS AS SOIL AMENDMENT ON GROWTH PARAMETERS AND YIELD OF MAIZE

Abstract

Soil fertility degradation remains the major biophysical cause of declining per capita crop production especially on small holder farms. Appropriate soil fertility regimes are therefore, critical for improved crop productivity. Plant biomass is the weight of living plant material contained above and/or below a unit of ground surface area at a given point in time. It includes both the above and belowground tissues of plants, for example, leaves, twigs, branches, boles, as well as roots of trees and rhizomes of grasses Incorporation of plant biomass into the soil for plant use has effects on the growth parameters of plants. This study evaluated the short term effect of plant biomass on the growth parameters of maize plant. The plant biomasses used were: Banana leaf, Guinea grass and Siam weed (Chromoleana). These are common plants most people take as waste unwanted plant. The parameters characterized were plant height, leaf area and stem girth. Records of the leaf breadth, leaf length, and plant height and stem girth were taking. The leaf area was gotten by multiplying the leaf length and the leaf breadth of each plant together with the corrective factor of 0.75 as suggested by Saxena and Signh (1965) and Tollenaar (1992).The average leaf area recorded were 373.33 cm2, 402.40 cm2, 388.21 cm2 and 394.19 cm2 for Control, Siam weed, Guinea grass, and Banana leaf respectively for the 6th week which was the first record. The average plant heights recorded were 122.56 cm, 125.22 cm, 125.00cm and 112.78 cm for Control, Siam weed, Guinea grass, and Banana leaf respectively. It was noticed that there was no significant difference among the means recorded for the plant height at P<0.05. The average stem girths recorded were 6.61 cm, 6.76 cm 6.83 cm and 6.67 cm for Control, Siam weed, Guinea grass, and Banana leaf respectively. The average maize yield recorded were 2.42 ton/ha, 3.21 ton/ha, 2.86 ton/ha, and 3.14 ton/ha for Control, Siam weed, Guinea grass, and Banana leaf respectively. Plot amended with the plant biomass had better performance on the growth parameter of maize. At the 6th week, plot amended with Siam Weed (Chromoleana) had the highest Leaf Area and Plant Height while at the 12th week (maturity period) plot amended with Guinea Grass had the highest Leaf Area and Plant Height, this may be as a result of the mineralization rates. Plot amended with Siam Weed (Chromoleana) had the highest yield while the Control plot had the lowest yield; this was as a result of the advantageous effect of the Plant biomass on the soil. In conclusion, Plant biomass amends soil fertility and improves growth parameters of plants (maize) and the yield.