AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF MAIZE (Zea maysL.)MULCHED WITH GUINEA GRASS (Panicum maximum Jacq) PLANTRESIDUES

ABSTRACT

Maize is the only food cereal crop that can be grown in diverse seasons, ecologies and uses.Apart from this, maize is an important industrial raw material and provides large opportunity for value additionMaize requires specific nutrients, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), andpotassium (K), as well as secondary and micronutrients, to support its growth anddevelopment.Panicum maximum residues are recognized for their ability to enhance soil quality, control erosion, and retain water, suggesting they could serve as an organic substitute for conventional inorganic fertilizers. This study was conducted to determinethe yield of maize mulched with Panicum maximumplant residue.Sammaz 52 maize cultivarwas used on the test crop. The trial was carried out at the Faculty of Agriculture Teaching And Research Farm,University of Benin, Benin City.Randomized Complete Block Design was used in the trial, with four replication.Treatment include four rate of freshly cutp.maximum plant residue [0 kg m^-2, 1 kg m^-2, 3 kg m^-2, 5 kg m^-2] which was applied three different times. The parameters studied were plant height,cob yield,grain yield stover yield.The yield of maize increased as the rate ofP.maximum plant residue increased.Thus the result shows that p.maximum can serve as good source oforganic fertilizer to maize