Yield response of pearl millet and soil nutrients to time of planting and fertilizer application on an alfisols in Makurdi, Nigeria.

Abstract

The influence of time of planting and fertilizer application on yield of Pearl millet (pennsetum typhoides) and soil nutrients content was studiedd at the teaching and research farm of the university of Agrriculture,makurdi,Benue State,Nigeria.The experriment was 10x 2 randomised complete block design (RCBD) with three replications.the factors and levels were control (no application),40 – 20 -20kg NPK/ha,40-20-kgNPK/ha+1.5t/haPM,40-20-20kgNPK/ha+3.0t/haPM,60-30-30kgNPK/ha,60-30-30kgNPK/ha+1.5t/haPM,60-30-30kgNPK/ha+3.0t/haPM,80-40-40kgNPK/ha,80-40-40kgNPK/ha+1.5t/haPM,80-40-40kgNPK/ha+3.0t/haPM.Millet was planted April and August.soil propperties were determined prior to experimentation and after harvest.seed yield and panicle length were taken at harvest.the result indicated that early planting gave significantly (<0.05)higher grain yeild than the late planted one.Application of 60-30-30kg NPK/ha gave higher seed yield of 1,516.5 and 1,250.0kg/ha in 2008 and 2009 respectively than other treatments.The yield obtained however, was not statistically different from application 40-20-20kgNPK/ha+3t/ha of PM.Combination of Na,Ca and ECEC.Early planting of millet and application of 60-303-30kg/ha or 40-20-20kgNPK/ha +3t/ha of PM is hereby recommended for millet in Makurdi.