ABSTRACT
This experiment was conducted at the screen house of the Department of Soil Science and Land Management, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria to examine the effect of blended melon peels as an organic amendment material in the growth of maize (Zea mays L.). It examined the effects of melon peels on the physical, chemical and microbial properties of the soil. The experiment was replicated three times with four treatments; T1 (control), T2 (12g), T3 (15g) and T4 (18g) of melon peels all per 6kg of soil sample. The parameters measured for the maize plants were plant height, leaf area, stem girth, and number of leaves. After 8weeks, the experiment was terminated and soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere of the maize plant and analyzed for physical, chemical, and microbial properties. The result of the study shows that adding blended melon peels improved the soil physical (sand, silt and clay) and chemical properties (EC, AvP.Ca, Mg, E.A, ECEC, TOC, and OM) of the soil although no significant difference was observed between the control and the various treatment at various level. The Available phosphorus was increased from 14.23 mgkg-1 in the control to 14.92 mgkg-1 when T3 (18g) of blended melon was applied. The Total Organic Carbon (TOC) was increased from 1.73 gkg-1 in control to 2.02 gkg-1 when T2 (15g) of blended melon peel was applied. The Organic matter was increased from 2.21 gkg-1 in the control to 2.37gkg-1 when T3 (18g) of blended melon peel was applied. Also, the sand content was increased from 41.8% in the control to 55.3 when T1 (12g) of blended melon peel was applied. Silt content was also increased from 21.2% in control to 59.2 when T2 (15g) of blended melon peel was applied. Since mineralization of blended melon peels increases the activity of microbial properties in the soil, blended melon peel at large quantity can be applied to improve the physical and chemical properties of the soil since it improves growth parameters of maize.
