International Journal of Horticulture, 2017, Vol.7, No. 15, 124-132
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fertilizer, especially in rain forest humid ecosystem, during arable and perennial crop production (Kwari and
Bibinu, 2002; Adeniyan and Ojeniyi, 2003, 2005; Wapa et al., 2013). It is therefore important to have a system for
making nitrogen management recommendations for maize that take manure into account.
Series of research have estimated N availability for maize production in different climate region or ecosystem.
Beauchamp (1983) and Safley et al. (1986) estimated N availability based on crop yield response. Xie and
Mackenzie (1986) estimated N availability relative to inorganic fertilizer with respect to residual soil nitrate at
harvest. Also, Khan (1986) determined the nitrogen (N) availability in liquid pig manure for silage-corn
production under south coastal condition.
Large areas of inland valley swamp (IVS), including those in rainforest humid zone are characterized seasonal by
flooding with a high degree of irregular and high variability of N availability due to erosion and leaching, making
most of these soils to be acidic and low in available phosphorous, CEC and nutrient base, but are rich in iron and
alumina, resulting in a high iron toxicity potential for maize plants (Sanchez and Logan, 1992). Soil surface
drainage, as well as liming may also favour the successive maize production by suppressing the toxicity from the
excessively reduced conditions and by increasing the available nutrients such as phosphorus, to maize plants
(Yasuhiro et al, 2010). However, the influence of ash for liming has been found to improve the availability of
nutrients, increase crop yields and activities of soil micro-organisms due to amelioration of soil physichochemical
properties (Ojeniyi et al., 1999; Ano and Agwu, 2005; Kekong et al., 2010). This has direct implication for
nutrient, and particularly nitrogen (N) management. Nitrogen management is of particular concern, as it is the
most limiting nutrient in inland valley swamp (IVS) (Linquist et al., 1998). Nitrogen is also required by maize in
higher quantities, and is more susceptible to losses than other nutrients (Sanchez and Logan, 1992). There is need
to improve the nitrogen status of inland valley swamp in order to make judicious use of its agricultural potential.
The objective of this study is to determine the influence of pig dung manure and spent bleaching earth
combination on maize yield and nitrogen uptake of maize at harvest.
2 Results
2.1 Physiochemical properties of the experimental site
The pre-soil and post-soil physicochemical analysis is presented in Table 1. The soil is sandy loam in texture and
acidic in nature (pH 5.07). The percentage Organic carbon was 1.14, available phosphorous was 8.92 mg/kg and
total nitrogen was 0.2 g/kg.
Table 1 Physico-chemical properties of the experimental site before and after the study
Parameter Sand% Clay% Silt% N% Textura
Organic pH P
K Ca
Mg Ca
Class
carbon (H2O) mg/kg
(meg/100g)
Pre experiment
2013/2014 67
19
9
0.13 sandy loam 0.89
5.47 7.55 0.38 3.60 2.45 0.16
2014/2015 70
21
10 0.18 sandy loam 1.40
5.77 10.0 0.62 7.66 4.50 0.36
STD
1.10 1.30 1.46 0.02
0.15
0.58 0.85 0.07 1.27 0.57 0.06
Post experiment
Control
68.5 20
9.5 0.20 sandy loam 1.14
5.07 8.92 0.50 5.70 3.40 0.20
2013/2014 66.4 21
11.6 1.45 sandy loam 11.20
5.45 18.6 0.58 7.13 5.70 0.46
2014/2015 66.5 21
11.5 1.62 sandy loam 12.52
5.87 21.55 0.62 7.25 5.77 0.55
LSD (0.05) 2.10 ns
ns
0.05
0.15
0.48 1.85 0.04 1.33 0.21 0.06
Note: ns = not significantly different at LSD (0.05)
2.2 Effect of spent bleaching earth and pig manure on physical and chemical properties of soil in the
experimental site
The result from the post soil analysis conducted after maize harvest in 2014 and 2015 showed that the
physicochemical properties of the soil improved with the application of SBE and PM (Table 2). There was no
significant difference in clay content of the soil at maize harvest. The percentage sand in the soil reduced
