Influence of leguminous trees biomass and nitrogen fertilizer on growth and yield of maize

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess the influence of nitrogen fixing trees biomass and nitrogen fertilizer on growth and yield of maize. The experiment was laid out as 3 x 4 x 2 factorial in a split-split plot design with three replicates. The factors considered were: control and biomass species (Albizia lebbeck and Parkia biglobosa) as main plots, four rates of nitrogen (0, 40, 80, 120 kg N ha^-1) as sub-plots, and two maize varieties (DMR-ESR-7 and 2009 EVAT) as sub-sub plots. A. lebbeck (45.3, 46.0) attained early days to 50 % tasselling and silking than P. biglobosa (52.9, 53.9).A. lebbeck biomass had significantly higher influence on yield components like grain yield (1881.9 kg ha^-1) compared to P. biglobosa. Addition of nitrogen enhanced similar effects as nitrogen fixing trees on the growth and yield components of both maize varieties compared to control. Influence of biomass and nitrogen application on maize variety proved A. lebbeck with 120 kg N ha^-1 rate of fertilizer to produce highest cob yield plant-1, while 80 kg N ha^-1 produced highest number of grains cob^-1 with 2009 EVAT. It is therefore, concluded that incorporation of A. lebbeck with application of 120 kg N ha^-1 fertilizer rate into the soil improved the grain yield of both 2009 EVAT and DMR-ESR-7 maize varieties.