ABSTRACT
Maize is an important cereal crop and a staple food in Nigeria, rich in various nutrients such as carbohydrates, vitamins and phytochemicals. Nitrogen (N) is an important plant nutrient critical for profitable maize production. NPK and Urea are common inorganic fertilizer sources of N. However, persistent usage has resulted in rapid soil physical degradation, soil nutrient imbalance, and soil acidity which affects soil fertility. This has necessitated the need for organic source of fertilizers such as plant residues as they possess the capacity to improve soil fertility without causing adverse effects to the soil. Chromolaena odorata L. has potential to enhance and improve plant nutrient levels when used as mulch. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate the agronomic performance of maize fertilized with C. odorata. The experiment was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture Teaching and Research Farm, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design, with four replicates. The treatments comprised four rates of freshly cut C. odorata plant residues (0, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0 kg m−2) applied as a fertilizer. Parameters studied were plant height, ear height, grain yield and stover yield. Plant height, ear height, grain yield and stover yield of maize increased as the level of treatment of C. odorata plant residues applied as fertilizer increased, with 5 kg m−2 giving superior agronomic performance. Therefore, based on the findings of the study, C. odorata residues are capable of being utilised as fertilizer source for improved agronomic performance of maize alongside soil quality.
