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MAIZE YIELDS RESPONSE TO APPLICATION OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC INPUT UNDER ON-STATION AND ON-FARM EXPERIMENTS IN CENTRAL KENYA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2009

JAYNE MUGWE ,
DANIEL MUGENDI ,
JAMES KUNGU  and
MONICAH-MUCHERU MUNA
JAYNE MUGWE*
Affiliation:
Kenya Forestry Research Institute, P.O. Box 20412-00200, Nairobi, Kenya
DANIEL MUGENDI
Affiliation:
Kenyatta University, School of Environmental Studies and Human Sciences, Department of Environmental Sciences, P.O Box 43844 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
JAMES KUNGU
Affiliation:
Kenyatta University, School of Environmental Studies and Human Sciences, Department of Environmental Sciences, P.O Box 43844 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
MONICAH-MUCHERU MUNA
Affiliation:
Kenyatta University, School of Environmental Studies and Human Sciences, Department of Environmental Sciences, P.O Box 43844 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
*
†Corresponding author: jaynemugwe@yahoo.com
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Summary

This study investigated the feasibility of using sole organics or a combination of organics with inorganic fertilizer to improve maize production in on-station and on-farm experiments in central Kenya. In the on-station experiment, combined application of Calliandra calothyrsus, Leucaena trichandra and Tithonia diversifolia at 30 kg N ha−1 plus inorganic fertilizer (30 kg N ha−1) consistently gave significantly higher maize grain yields than the recommended rate of inorganic fertilizer (60 kg N ha−1). Sole application of calliandra, leucaena and tithonia also increased maize yields more than the recommended rate of inorganic fertilizer. In the on-farm experiment, calliandra, leucaena, tithonia and cattle manure either alone or combined with inorganic fertilizer increased maize yields with a similar magnitude to that of inorganic fertilizer. These organic resources could therefore be used to supplement inorganic fertilizer as a whole or in part. There was a yield gap between on-station and on-farm trials with on-station yields having, on average, 65% greater yields than the on-farm yields. There is therefore potential for increasing yields at the farm level by closing the yield gap.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 45 , Issue 1 , January 2009 , pp. 47 - 59
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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References

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