Abstract
Smallholder farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) face a significant challenge to sustainable crop production. A field trial was conducted during the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 cropping seasons. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of applying different mixtures of composted sugarcane filter cake (SFC) and vermiculite (V) of different ratios (0, 5, 10, and 20%V) applied at 5 t ha−1 on maize growth and yields and selected soil properties. Positive and negative controls were also evaluated. The 20%V, which was next to the positive control, had higher numbers of leaves and taller plants than the other mixtures at the end of the 2022/2023 season. The total biomass was significantly high for 20%V (13.6 t ha−1) during the 2022/23 season and positive control (7.3 t ha−1) during the 2023/2024 season. During the 2022/23 season, maize yields were higher under 20%V at 7.3 t ha−1, while the positive control (1.33 t ha−1) yielded higher during the 2023/2024 season. The negative control had poorer maize growth and yield than all the other treatments during both seasons. At the end of the 2023/24 season, the 20%V had higher nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium than all other treatments. All the SFC-V mixtures had higher phosphorus content than the controls. Maize responds positively to the application of composted SFC-V mixtures in rain-fed systems, and the 20%V has greater potential for use as a basal fertilizer. This study shows that the use of SFC-V mixtures improves maize growth and yield and soil fertility status.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
The 20%V mixture gave higher leaf numbers and taller maize plants than the other mixtures at the end of the 2022/2023 season.
- Treatment
- 20%Ve1
- Outcome
- numbers of leaves and taller plantse1
- Direction
- highere1
- Comparator
- the other mixturese1
- Setting
- 2022/2023 seasone1
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The 20%V, which was next to the positive control, had higher numbers of leaves and taller plants than the other mixtures at the end of the 2022/2023 season”
t0“mixtures of sugarcane filter cake and vermiculite on maize productivity and selected chemical and physical properties in rain-fed sandy soils”
Claim · model-written summary
Total maize biomass was significantly higher under 20%V (13.6 t ha−1) in the 2022/23 season.
- Treatment
- 20%Ve2
- Outcome
- total biomasse2
- Direction
- higherinferrede2
- Value
- 13.6 t ha−1e2
- Setting
- 2022/23 seasone2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“The total biomass was significantly high for 20%V (13.6 t ha−1) during the 2022/23 season and positive control (7.3 t ha−1) during the 2023/2024 season”
t0“maize productivity”
Claim · model-written summary
Total maize biomass was significantly higher under the positive control (7.3 t ha−1) in the 2023/2024 season.
- Treatment
- positive controle2
- Outcome
- total biomasse2
- Direction
- higherinferrede2
- Value
- 7.3 t ha−1e2
- Setting
- 2023/2024 seasone2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“The total biomass was significantly high for 20%V (13.6 t ha−1) during the 2022/23 season and positive control (7.3 t ha−1) during the 2023/2024 season”
t0“maize productivity”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize yield was higher under 20%V (7.3 t ha−1) in the 2022/23 season.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“During the 2022/23 season, maize yields were higher under 20%V at 7.3 t ha−1, while the positive control (1.33 t ha−1) yielded higher during the 2023/2024 season”
t0“maize productivity”
Claim · model-written summary
The positive control gave higher maize yield (1.33 t ha−1) in the 2023/2024 season.
- Treatment
- positive controle3
- Outcome
- maize yieldse3
- Direction
- highere3
- Value
- 1.33 t ha−1e3
- Setting
- 2023/2024 seasone3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“During the 2022/23 season, maize yields were higher under 20%V at 7.3 t ha−1, while the positive control (1.33 t ha−1) yielded higher during the 2023/2024 season”
t0“maize productivity”
Claim · model-written summary
The negative control had poorer maize growth and yield than all other treatments in both seasons.
- Treatment
- negative controle4
- Outcome
- maize growth and yielde4
- Direction
- poorere4
- Comparator
- all the other treatmentse4
- Setting
- both seasonse4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“The negative control had poorer maize growth and yield than all the other treatments during both seasons”
t0“maize productivity”
Claim · model-written summary
At the end of the 2023/24 season, 20%V gave higher nitrogen, calcium and magnesium than all other treatments.
- Treatment
- 20%Ve5
- Outcome
- nitrogen, calcium, and magnesiume5
- Direction
- highere5
- Comparator
- all other treatmentse5
- Setting
- 2023/24 seasone5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“At the end of the 2023/24 season, the 20%V had higher nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium than all other treatments”
t0“maize productivity”
Claim · model-written summary
All SFC-V mixtures gave higher phosphorus content than the controls.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“All the SFC-V mixtures had higher phosphorus content than the controls”
t0“maize productivity”
Claim · model-written summary
The 20%V mixture has greater potential than the other mixtures for use as a basal fertilizer.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“the 20%V has greater potential for use as a basal fertilizer”
t0“maize productivity”