Using soybeans, manure, organic npk® (compost) and npk fertilizer to enhance soil nutrients, organic matter and grain yield of sorghum in makurdi, nigeria

Abstract

A field trial was conducted in 2016 and 2017 at Commercial Crop Farms of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi to evaluate the effect of manure, compost and NPK fertilizer under soybeans-sorghum mixed cropping. The experiment consisted of three (3) levels of poultry manure (0, 2.0 and 3.5 t/ha), three (3) levels of compost manure (0, 0.2 and 0.4 t/ha) and three (3) levels of NPK (0, 30 and 60 KgN/ha). Soybean was intercropped with sorghum as a nitrogen fixer in selected plots. The experiment was laid out in a Randomised Complete Block Design and replicated three (3) times. Soybean as nutrient source marginally enhanced organic matter and nutrients content in the soil. Poultry manure retains the highest concentration of OM and nutrients in the soil compared to compost and NPK fertilizer. Also, grain yield of sorghum was significant at (P<0.05) with manure and fertilizer application; NPK fertilizer at 60 kg N/ha in sorghum-legume mixture gave the highest yield (1035.0 kg/ha and 1138.4 kg/ha in 2016 and 2017 respectively). The lowest yield was obtained from non fertilizer treatments. The concentration of organic matter and plant nutrients elements in the soil and grain yield of sorghum were enhanced by addition of manure and fertilizer. Therefore, sustainable cultivation of sorghum is possible via the use of fertilizer, manure and a nitrogen fixer are used as soil amendments