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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Article
Author(s)
Mavis Badu Brempong1, Andrews Opoku1, Nana Ewusi-Mensah1 and Robert Clement Abaidoo2, 3
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DOI:10.17265/2162-5263/2017.01.004
Affiliation(s)
1. Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
2. College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
3. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
A field experiment was conducted at Kpongu in the Upper West region of Ghana
to determine the added benefits in grain yield of maize derived from the concurrent
use of manure and mineral fertilizer, and their cost effectiveness. Factorial combinations
of cattle manure and mineral fertilizer each at 0, 50 and 100% of their recommended
rates were evaluated in both the field and the laboratory studies. The treatments
were applied in a randomized complete block design with three replications on the
field. The same treatments were applied in the incubation study in a completely
randomized design. The use of 100% NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) + 5 t manure gave the highest grain yield of 4,678 kgha-1. Synergistic
interactions resulting in added benefits in grain yield were observed in all the
combined nutrient inputs except 50% NPK + 2.5 t manure which accrued an added disadvantage
of 44 kgha-1. Economic
analysis proved that 100% NPK + 2.5 t manure and 50% NPK + 5 t manure were the
most economically viable combined treatments in terms of grain yield. Based on the
results from this study, resource poor farmers in the Upper West region of Ghana
may reduce mineral fertilizer recommended rates by 50% and supplement it with 5
t quality (N >2.5%) cattle manure
without compromising yield and profit.
KEYWORDS
Synergistic interaction, yield, value cost ratio.
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