Abstract
Low soil phosphorous level is among several constraints limiting crop productivity in southwestern Ethiopia. The dominant soil types in the region are acidic nitosols that are low in plant-available phosphorus. Most farmers cultivate maize with minimal external inputs and hence result in suboptimal yield levels. The effect of applying Tithonia biomass and phosphorus fertilizer on the agronomic efficiency of phosphorus and yield of maize was therefore investigated in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Tithonia ( Tithonia diversifolia ) biomass and Triple Superphosphate (TSP) were used as organic and inorganic sources of phosphorus, respectively. Significant treatment differences (P<0.01) were observed for most of the parameters studied including agronomic efficiency, partial factor productivity (PFP), and grain yield. Agronomic phosphorus use efficiency increased from 26.3 at the sole TSP to 163 at treatment 7, a staggering 520% increment when combined with Tithonia biomass. Similarly, PFP of phosphorus increased from 169.1 to 324.8. At the same time, 53% increment of the grain yield was recorded over the control. Although applying the highest Tithonia biomass alone gave the highest grain yield, application of just 50% of the highest rate of Tithonia biomass and TSP looks more appealing to smallholder maize producers in the region. The result therefore indicated that Tithonia biomass could be utilized in smallholder maize production system as a source of plant nutrients such as phosphorus; it also emphasized the need to allot more resources and attention in exploring locally available and cheap sources of plant nutrients which could augment crop productivity amid the mounting financial challenges faced by farmers in the region.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Treatments differed significantly in agronomic efficiency, partial factor productivity and grain yield.
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Significant treatment differences (P<0.01) were observed for most of the parameters studied including agronomic efficiency, partial factor productivity (PFP), and grain yield”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Combining Tithonia biomass with fertilizer raised agronomic phosphorus use efficiency from 26.3 to 163, a 520% increase over sole TSP.
- Treatment
- combined with Tithonia biomasse0
- Outcome
- Agronomic phosphorus use efficiencye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 520%e0
- Qualifier
- from 26.3 at the sole TSP to 163 at treatment 7e0
- Comparator
- sole TSPe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Agronomic phosphorus use efficiency increased from 26.3 at the sole TSP to 163 at treatment 7, a staggering 520% increment when combined with Tithonia biomass”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Partial factor productivity of phosphorus increased from 169.1 to 324.8.
- Treatment
- Tithonia biomass and phosphorus fertilizere1
- Outcome
- PFP of phosphoruse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 324.8e0
- Qualifier
- from 169.1e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“PFP of phosphorus increased from 169.1 to 324.8”
e1“Tithonia biomass and phosphorus fertilizer”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Grain yield increased 53% over the control.
- Treatment
- Tithonia biomass and phosphorus fertilizere1
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- incremente0
- Value
- 53%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“53% increment of the grain yield was recorded over the control”
e1“Tithonia biomass and phosphorus fertilizer”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The highest Tithonia biomass rate alone gave the highest grain yield.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“applying the highest Tithonia biomass alone gave the highest grain yield”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
A mixture using 50% of the highest Tithonia biomass rate and TSP appeared more appealing for smallholder producers.
- Outcome
- application of just 50% of the highest rate of Tithonia biomass and TSPe0
- Value
- 50%e0
- Qualifier
- smallholder maize producers in the regione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“application of just 50% of the highest rate of Tithonia biomass and TSP looks more appealing to smallholder maize producers in the region”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend using Tithonia biomass as a nutrient source in smallholder maize production.
- Outcome
- Tithonia biomass could be utilized in smallholder maize production system as a source of plant nutrients such as phosphoruse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Tithonia biomass could be utilized in smallholder maize production system as a source of plant nutrients such as phosphorus”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors call for more exploration of locally available inexpensive nutrient sources.
- Outcome
- exploring locally available and cheap sources of plant nutrientse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“need to allot more resources and attention in exploring locally available and cheap sources of plant nutrients which could augment crop productivity”
t0“Maize”
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