Abstract
Declining soil fertility is one of the main limiting factors for maize production in smallholder farming systems. The strategy of using inorganic fertilisers to cope with this problem is being highly constrained by economic (high cost, low purchasing power of smallholders) and environmental problems (pollution). Thus, a judicious integration of both organic and inorganic sources of nutrients may be envisaged as one of the options. Thus, a biomass transfer study integrated with inorganic fertiliser was conducted for two years (2001 and 2002 cropping seasons) at Bako Agricultural Research Center, western Oromia, Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to determine the optimum rate of Cajanus biomass that either substitutes or supplements inorganic fertiliser for enhancing the production of open pollinated maize variety (Kulani), and also to assess the possible residual effect of applying different sources and their combinations. The study area is hot with sub-humid climate and acidic nitosol soil type. Results indicated plant height, grain yield and grain size were significantly influenced by rates of Cajanus biomass (p=0.000 for height and grain yield; p=0.028 for grain size) and inorganic fertiliser (p=0.000 for height and grain; p=0.044 for grain size) in 2001 (first year), but none of them were significantly affected during the second year (2002), suggesting no or minimal residual effects of both nutrient sources and their combinations under this soil and climatic conditions. Maize grain yield varied from 2327.74 kg/ha to 7480.32 kg/ha during the first year and from 1128 kg/ha to 3380 kg/ha during the second year. Maize yield obtained with fully recommended inorganic fertiliser alone (standard check) was 5432.45 kg/ha, and with 4 t/ha Cajanus biomass alone was 5279.15 kg/ha. Applying 4 t/ha Cajanus biomass gave a yield advantage of about 67% over the check plot, but less only by 3% from the plot that received recommended fertiliser rate (standard plot). The results of this study indicate that organic nutrient sources like Cajanus biomass transfer can increase the yield of open pollinated maize variety as much as inorganic fertiliser.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Rates of Cajanus biomass significantly influenced maize plant height, grain yield and grain size in the first year (2001).
Zea maysNot reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“open pollinated maize variety”
e0“plant height, grain yield and grain size were significantly influenced by rates of Cajanus biomass (p=0.000 for height and grain yield; p=0.028 for grain size)”
Claim · model-written summary
Inorganic fertiliser rates significantly influenced maize plant height, grain yield and grain size in the first year (2001).
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“open pollinated maize variety”
e0“inorganic fertiliser (p=0.000 for height and grain; p=0.044 for grain size) in 2001 (first year)”
Claim · model-written summary
In the second year (2002) none of the measured traits was significantly affected, suggesting no or minimal residual effects of the Cajanus biomass and inorganic fertiliser sources and their combinations.
- Treatment
- both nutrient sources and their combinationse0
- Outcome
- residual effectse0
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede0
- Qualifier
- during the second year (2002)e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“open pollinated maize variety”
e0“but none of them were significantly affected during the second year (2002), suggesting no or minimal residual effects of both nutrient sources and their combinations”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize grain yield varied from 2327.74 to 7480.32 kg/ha during the first year.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize grain yield varied from 2327.74 kg/ha to 7480.32 kg/ha during the first year and from 1128 kg/ha to 3380 kg/ha during the second year”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize grain yield varied from 1128 to 3380 kg/ha during the second year.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize grain yield varied from 2327.74 kg/ha to 7480.32 kg/ha during the first year and from 1128 kg/ha to 3380 kg/ha during the second year”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize yield with the fully recommended inorganic fertiliser alone (standard check) was 5432.45 kg/ha.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize yield obtained with fully recommended inorganic fertiliser alone (standard check) was 5432.45 kg/ha, and with 4 t/ha Cajanus biomass alone was 5279.15 kg/ha”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize yield with 4 t/ha Cajanus biomass alone was 5279.15 kg/ha.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize yield obtained with fully recommended inorganic fertiliser alone (standard check) was 5432.45 kg/ha, and with 4 t/ha Cajanus biomass alone was 5279.15 kg/ha”
Claim · model-written summary
Applying 4 t/ha Cajanus biomass gave a yield advantage of about 67% over the check plot.
- Treatment
- 4 t/ha Cajanus biomasse0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- increaseinferrede0
- Value
- about 67%e0
- Comparator
- the check plote0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“open pollinated maize variety”
e0“Applying 4 t/ha Cajanus biomass gave a yield advantage of about 67% over the check plot”
Claim · model-written summary
Yield with 4 t/ha Cajanus biomass was only 3% lower than on the plot receiving the recommended fertiliser rate (standard plot).
- Treatment
- 4 t/ha Cajanus biomasse0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- lesse0
- Value
- 3%e0
- Comparator
- the plot that received recommended fertiliser rate (standard plot)e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“open pollinated maize variety”
e0“Applying 4 t/ha Cajanus biomass gave a yield advantage of about 67% over the check plot, but less only by 3% from the plot that received recommended fertiliser rate (standard plot)”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic nutrient sources such as Cajanus biomass transfer can increase the yield of the open pollinated maize variety as much as inorganic fertiliser.
- Treatment
- Cajanus biomass transfere0
- Outcome
- the yielde0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Comparator
- inorganic fertilisere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic nutrient sources like Cajanus biomass transfer can increase the yield of open pollinated maize variety as much as inorganic fertiliser”
The same questions in other papers
fertilization · growth · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
1,195 papers in the same direction as this paper · 149 in the opposite direction · 20 reporting no difference from an alternative
- no effect
- no effect
- negative
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