EFFECTS OF VERMICOMPOST ON GROWTH, YIELD COMPONENTS AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE OF MAIZE UNDER DROUGHT CONDITION

Abstract

Maize is one of the world most recognized annual plants with huge utilizations. However, irregular rainfall leading to drought condition of soil from which plants find all the nutrients required for optimum productivity has been one of the greatest unseen threats maize farmers can ever have. As a results, this study was carried out purposefully to evaluate the effects of vermicompost on morphological, yield and physiological components of maize under drought condition. Treatments include first control, which represented normal watering regime without alleviation; second control, which represented water-stressed plants without alleviation; vermicompost level at 75 g (15 t/ha) per 10 kg of soil; and vermicompost level at 125 g (25 t/ha) per 10 kg of soil. To achieve this objective, SAMMAZ 52 maize variety were locally sourced and the experiment was laid out in Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD) with four replications for each of the treatment. Also, laboratory analysis was done for both physical and chemical property of the vermicompost as well as soil used prior to the experiment and data were collected on growth parameters, yield components and nutrient content under drought condition. The results showed that vermicompost at 25 t ha⁻¹ generally improved maize growth under water deficit. Plant height under the 25 t ha⁻¹ treatment increased from 65.39 cm before drought to 118.62 cm at mild drought and 120.80 cm at severe drought, while stem girth increased from 4.84 to 5.50 and 5.88 cm, respectively. Under water deficit, the 25 t ha⁻¹ treatment
also recorded the highest cob weight (79.50 g) and stover weight (230.80 g) among the droughtstressed treatments. Grain number and grain weight were 80.00 and 8.48 g, respectively, under 25 t ha⁻¹ compared with only 2.00 grains and 0.23 g in the water-stressed control without vermicompost. Nutrient concentrations were generally reduced under severe drought, particularly in plants without vermicompost, while vermicompost application moderated these reductions for several nutrients. The study demonstrates that vermicompost, particularly at 25 t ha⁻¹, can improve maize growth and selected yield components under water deficit conditions. Application of 25 t ha⁻¹ vermicompost is therefore recommended as a soil amendment for improving the performance of maize subjected to
drought stress, subject to economic and field-scale validation.