Optimization of plant population density and chicken manure rates in enhancing sweet corn yield (Zea mays saccharata L.)
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Abstract
Maize production has increasingly become strategic in Nigeria, facing food security challenges presently. Moving from net importer to sufficiency, creates need for urgent production expansion. A two year field experiment evaluated spatial dimensions and manuring rates effects on performance of sweet maize in the early cropping seasons of 2019 and 2020, at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Calabar, Nigeria, using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with nine treatment combinations as follows: 40 cm x 25 cm + 0 t ha-1 CM, 40 cm x 25 cm + 10 t ha-1 CM, 40 cm x 25 cm + 20 t ha-1 CM, 50 cm x 25 cm + 0 t ha-1 CM, 50 cm x 25 cm + 10 t ha-1 CM, 50 cm x 25 cm + 20 t ha-1 CM, 60 cm x 25 cm + 0 t ha-1 CM, 60 cm x 25 cm + 10 t ha-1 CM and 60 cm x 25cm +20 t ha-1 CM, replicated three times. From results, sweet maize (Zea mays saccharata L.) spaced at 40 cm x 25 cm with 20 t ha-1 of chicken manure had better
performance which resulted in the highest (p≤0.05) leaf area index (2.82 and 4.19), stem girth (3.51 and 3.51) and grain yield (2.36 and 2.41 t ha-1) in both years of the study. In conclusion, sweet maize production can be profitable using the optimum spacing and chicken manure combinations articulated in this study.
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