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ABSTRACT
Plant residues are a major source of organic matter in the soils, and their amount, composition and properties are important for the decomposition process in the environment. Plant residues serve as a source of nutrients for plants and there is improved crop yield under mulch than without mulch. Chromolaenaodorata has potential to serve as plant residue, but its ability to support full maize population is not known. This study focuses on the development of the weed as organic material or the basic material for organic fertilizer for the farmers to use to enhance soil fertility; the effect of this fertilizer to maize crops grown at varying populations is further examined as well. Therefore this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of plant population on the performance of hybrid maize using Chromolaena odorata residues and also to determine the appropriate plant population of hybrid maize for optimum yield using Chromolaena odorata residues. The experiment was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture Teaching and Research Farm, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. Hybrid maize (Oba 98), obtained from Premier Seeds Nigeria Ltd, a seed company, was evaluated at a plant population of 17777, 26667, 33333, 53333 and 66667 plants ha-1 , respectively. The trial was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The alley Chromolaena odorata was cut and the residues spread evenly on the whole plot at sowing. This was repeated at four weeks and eight weeks, after sowing maize. At each operation, the hedge Chromolaena was cut at 25 cm to the soil. Data was collected on plant height, 1000- ix seed weight, grain yield and fodder yield. Plant population did not influence p>0.05 plant height and 1000-seed weight. There was significant effect p<0.05 on grain yield and stover yield as influenced by plant population. Grain yield of maize grown at a plant population of 53333 or 66666 plants/ha showed immense promise in obtaining higher grain yield.
