Abstract
Fertilizer placement method plays a vital role in modulating crop response to nutrients. Previous studies found a split combination of top-dressing and base placement of poultry manure superior (on growth and dry matter yield of plantain) to either of the placement methods used singly. The present study investigated the effect of manure placement method vis-à-vis the duration of growth of a previous plantain crop on the substrate fertility (nutrient leftover) and growth of a follower maize crop. In a pot experiment, three manure application methods, consisting of top-dressing (T1), base placement (T2), or a split combination of methods T1 and T2 (T3), were tested against a no manure control (T4) on growth and dry matter yield of ‘PITA 14’ (a plantain hybrid) for a growth period of 3 or 5 months. The residual fertility of the leftover substrates was evaluated, based on growth and biomass production of two maize varieties (acid and non-acid tolerant) for 9 weeks. The acidity, organic matter and NPK contents of the substrates were determined. Data were collected on percentage seedling emergence and vigour, plant height, stem diameter, number of live leaves, leaf area, leaf area index (LAI) and dry weights of shoot and root components. The duration of growth of the previous plantain crop and the manure placement methods significantly (P < 0.05) influenced nutrient leftover and all the growth parameters of the follower maize crop. The acid tolerant maize variety generally performed better than the non-tolerant variety. Longer duration of growth of the previous plantain crop reduced residual NPK. Top dressed soil (T1) substrate previously cropped for three months supported maize plants that had the highest LAI (0.56) and total dry weight (2.39g) at 3 WAP. However, at 6 and 9 WAP, substrates with split combination of top-dressing and base placement (T3) supported the highest LAI and total dry matter yield of maize. T3 substrates also maintained the highest residual nutrients and an ideal pH (6.6) for plant growth. Irrespective of manure placement method, maize growth performances were better in substrates previously cropped for three months than those cropped for five months. Maize performance in soil amended with manure but not previously cropped (positive control) was not better than other manured substrates, particularly those cropped for 3 months. The quantity of residual K had the highest correlation coefficient with LAI and total dry weight of maize. The results implied that nutrient mining and associated soil impoverishment in plantain cultivation could be ameliorated through appropriate nutrient placement methods. A split combination of top-dressing with base placement of poultry manure in plantain fields ensures a slower but steadier availability of crop nutrients needed for better sustainability of crop yields.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Prior plantain duration and manure placement significantly influenced nutrient leftover and maize growth parameters.
Zea maysNot reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The duration of growth of the previous plantain crop and the manure placement methods significantly (P < 0.05) influenced nutrient leftover and all the growth parameters of the follower maize crop.”
Claim · model-written summary
Acid-tolerant maize generally performed better than the non-tolerant variety.
- Material
- acid tolerant maize varietye0
- Outcome
- performed bettere0
- Direction
- bettere0
- Comparator
- non-tolerant varietye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The acid tolerant maize variety generally performed better than the non-tolerant variety.”
Claim · model-written summary
Longer prior plantain growth reduced residual NPK.
- Treatment
- Longer duration of growth of the previous plantain crope0
- Outcome
- residual NPKe0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Longer duration of growth of the previous plantain crop reduced residual NPK.”
t0“maize (Zea mays)”
Claim · model-written summary
Top-dressed substrate cropped for three months gave maize the highest LAI of 0.56 at 3 WAP.
- Treatment
- Top dressed soil (T1) substrate previously cropped for three monthse0
- Outcome
- LAIe0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 0.56e0
- Qualifier
- at 3 WAPe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Top dressed soil (T1) substrate previously cropped for three months supported maize plants that had the highest LAI (0.56) and total dry weight (2.39g) at 3 WAP.”
Claim · model-written summary
The same substrate gave the highest maize total dry weight of 2.39g at 3 WAP.
- Treatment
- Top dressed soil (T1) substrate previously cropped for three monthse0
- Outcome
- total dry weighte0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 2.39ge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Top dressed soil (T1) substrate previously cropped for three months supported maize plants that had the highest LAI (0.56) and total dry weight (2.39g) at 3 WAP.”
Claim · model-written summary
At 6 and 9 WAP, split-placement substrates supported the highest maize LAI and dry matter yield.
- Treatment
- split combination of top-dressing and base placement (T3)e0
- Outcome
- LAI and total dry matter yield of maizee0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Qualifier
- at 6 and 9 WAPe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“at 6 and 9 WAP, substrates with split combination of top-dressing and base placement (T3) supported the highest LAI and total dry matter yield of maize.”
Claim · model-written summary
T3 substrates retained the highest residual nutrients and pH 6.6.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“T3 substrates also maintained the highest residual nutrients and an ideal pH (6.6) for plant growth.”
t0“maize (Zea mays)”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize grew better in substrate previously cropped for three rather than five months.
- Treatment
- substrates previously cropped for three monthse0
- Outcome
- maize growth performancese0
- Direction
- bettere0
- Comparator
- those cropped for five monthse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize growth performances were better in substrates previously cropped for three months than those cropped for five months.”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize performance in manured uncropped soil was not better than other manured substrates.
- Treatment
- soil amended with manure but not previously croppede0
- Outcome
- Maize performancee0
- Direction
- not bettere0
- Comparator
- other manured substratese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Maize performance in soil amended with manure but not previously cropped (positive control) was not better than other manured substrates, particularly those cropped for 3 months.”
Claim · model-written summary
Residual K had the strongest correlation with maize LAI and total dry weight.
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The quantity of residual K had the highest correlation coefficient with LAI and total dry weight of maize.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommended split top-dressing and base placement of poultry manure in plantain fields for steadier nutrient availability.
- Taxon
- plantainMusa ABB Groupe0
- Treatment
- split combination of top-dressing with base placement of poultry manuree0
- Outcome
- slower but steadier availability of crop nutrientse0
Verbatim
e0“A split combination of top-dressing with base placement of poultry manure in plantain fields ensures a slower but steadier availability of crop nutrients needed for better sustainability of crop yields.”
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