COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIC MANURE (COW DUNG AND POULTRY DROPPINGS) ON THE VEGETATIVE GROWTH OF SOME MAIZE VARIETIES (SAMAZI AND EVDT)

ABSTRACT Fertilizers are important in the cultivation of any crop, including maize for the best vegetative growth. The effect of different organic fertilizers (cowdung, combination of poultry droppings and cowdung and poultry droppings) on the vegetative growth of maize was evaluated at the Botanical Garden. Department of Biological science, BASUG. Bauchi. A completely randomized block design (C.R.B.D) was employed in the experiment with 4 replicates per each treatment, experimental period was 12 weeks. Treatments were the three sources of nutrients and control: poultry manure, cowdung, combination of poultry droppings and cowdung. Different treatment rates of poultry droppings, cowdung and combination of poultry droppings and cowdung were replicated 4 times, a total of 32 experimental pots were used in the research. The parameters measured were number of leaves, plant height, leaf length& width shoot and root biomass. The results revealed that the different fertilizers increased vegetative growth but to varying degrees. Plant treated with poultry droppings had the highest mean number of leaves 9.25, combination of poultry droppings and cowdung 8.00, cow dung 7.75 and control 5. 75. Mean plant height was 105.6, 103.8, 74.82 and 63.65, respectively for poultry droppings. combination of poultry droppings and cowdung, cowdung and control. Mean leaf length and width was 77.3885.12, 76.85&5.12, 45.18&2.85 and 42.4&1.8 respectively for combination of poultry droppings and cowdung, poultry droppings, cowdung and control. Also, plant treated with combination of poultry droppings and cow dung had significantly higher shoot and root biomass (P