Effect of Organic Manures Sourced from Different Animal Wastes on Re-Growth Potential of Panicum maximum and Brachiaria decumbens in South Western Nigeria

Abstract

The potential of animal manures as materials for soil amendment in the tropics have been widely reported. The study was carried out at Organic Research Site of the Directorate of University Farms (DUFARMS), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta to investigate the effect of animal manures on re-growth potential of Panicum maximum and Brachiaria decumbens in South Western Nigeria. Four animal manures (Cattle, Sheep and Goat, Swine and Poultry) with no manure control, and three grasses (Panicum maximum Ntchisi, Panicum maximum Local and Brachiaria decumbens) were combined. The experiment was a 5 x 3 factorial arrangement laid out in a split-plot design with three replicate. The grasses were planted at 0.5m x 0.5m spacing and manure types were allotted to main plots measuring 15m x 15m each and grass species were allotted to sub-plots measuring 4m x 15m each and there
were fifteen treatment combinations. The plots were managed in 2010 growing season and the accumulated biomass of the grasses got dried up on the field. During second year of application, the plots were grazed at three irregular intervals by the migrant Fulani cattle in between early March 2011 and mid-March 2011. In late March 2011 the plots were cut back to a uniform height of about 15 cm. Agronomic data on re-growth parameters such as plant height, number of leaf, crown diameter and tiller density were taken. This was done five times at an interval of two weeks, and it commenced two weeks after cutting back for both early rainy and mid-rainy seasons. The results shows that crown diameter, tiller density, leaf number and plant height were significantly affected (P < 0.05) by the manure types and grass species with increasing values as the plants matured. Panicum maximum (Ntchisi) fertilized with swine manure had the best performance in both the early rainy and mid-rainy season.