Influence of poultry manure and NPK fertilizer on yield and yield components of crops under different cropping systems in south west Nigeria

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted in two villages (Oniyo and Moloko Ashipa) representing two agro ecologies in the south west area of Nigeria during 2000 and 2001 cropping seasons. The objective was to determine the effects of NPK fertilizer and poultry manure on the yield and yield components in cassava/maize/melon systems. The factors were (1) cropping systems: cassava/maize/melon, sole cassava, sole maize and sole melon; and (2) fertilizers: no fertilizer, NPK 15-15-15 (400 kg/ha), poultry manure (5 t/ha), 2.5 t/ha poultry manure + 200 kg/ha NPK 15-15-15 and mineral fertilizer (NPK 15-15-15). Intercropping had no significant effect on cassava root yield but it reduced maize and melon seed yield compared to sole cropping. Land equivalent ratio (LER) values were however higher under intercropping than sole cropping. Crop yields were statistically the same under NPK alone and NPK + poultry manure but significantly higher than both poultry manure alone and control in both locations