ABSTRACT

The response of three commercial maize varieties (zea mays L) (Bende white, Oba super 2 and Suwan -1- SR.) to NPK, compost and poultry manure was investigated at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike in the year 2004. Adopting the completely randomized Design, two factor - factorial format the growth components measured were leaf number, leaf dry weight, leaf area, stem dry weight, whole plant dry weights, crop growth rate, plant moisture content and shelled grain dry weights. The study reveals significant varietal differences in the stem dry weigh.ts, leaf dryweights, whole plant dry weights and plant moisture contents at (P<0.05) 10 weeks after panting. Oba super 2 performed significantly better than other varieties in leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, whole plant dry weights and plant moisture content at (P<0.05). There were no significant varietal differences in the leaf number, leaf area, plant heights and shelled grain dry weights at (P>0.05). In manural treatments organic manures performed significantly better than inorganic fertilizer (NPK) at (P 0.05). Poultry manure applied at the rate of 10 ton/ha performed better than other manural treatments in every growth and yield component measured at (P<0.05). Compost manure (10 tons/Ha) performed significantly better than NPK (200kg/ha) at (P<O.05). Poultry manure produced the shelled grain yield of 1.69 ton/ha when applied on the three varieties of maize. The control treatment produced shelled grain dry weight of 0.28 ton/ha. The performance in grain yield of poultry manure recommends it for adoption by Umudike farmers in Southeast Nigeria.