Authors : B.O. Ademiluyi and S.O. Omotoso
Abstract: Green biomass of Tithonia diversifolia was incorporated into 3 groups of soil (degraded soil, used soil and fallowed soil) with the aim of finding its potential on soil fertility for maize (Zea mays) improvement. There was higher vegetative and reproductive growth of maize in the Tithonia incorporated soil. Early maize growth rate in terms of height and stem girth were better under tithonia applied soil than under the NPK fertilizer soils. Maize cob and grain yields were greatly increased by tithonia biomass than NPK fertilizer. Fallow + Tithonia gave cob and grain weight of 148.2 g pot 1,114.0 g pot 1 in 2003 and 147.5 g pot 1, 115.1 g pot 1 in 2004. An increase of 94 and 88% grain yield was obtained with tithonia incorporation while 79 and 80% grain yield was obtained in the NPK fertilizer applied soils in 2003 and 2004, respectively under the degraded soil group. It was observed therefore, that degraded soils could be recovered for crop production at low cost with tithonia than high cost of NPK fertilizer.
B.O. Ademiluyi and S.O. Omotoso , 2008. Comparative Evaluation of Tithonia diversifolia and NPK Fertilizer for Soil Improvement in Maize (Zea mays) Production in Ado Ekiti, Southwestern Nigeria. Research Journal of Agronomy, 2: 8-11.