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ABSTRACT
The need for nitrogen (N) has been proven to be impactful maintaining high maize crop productivity. But inorganic fertilizers can result in soil toxicity which has necessitated the need for the use of organic fertilizer such as plant residues. Panicum maximum (Jacq.) a perennial grass,may have the capacity to improve soil fertility and structure. Therefore, a field study was conducted in April - July 2023 at the Faculty of Agriculture Teaching and Research Farm, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria, to evaluate the agronomic performance of maize fertilized with P. maximum plant residues. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) replicated four times. The treatment comprised of four levels (0, 1, 3, 5 kg m-2 ) of P. maximum plant residues. The variables measured were plant height, ear height, grain yield and stover yield. P. maximum plant residues influenced all variables. Maize grew taller and had higher grain yield when fertilized with 3 and 5 kg plant residues m-2 compared to 0 and 1 kg plant residues m-2 . While P. maximum plant residues improved the soil for improved growth and yield, the gains were only modest.
