Maize performance in a sandy loam ultisol amended with NPK 15-15-15 and poultry manure

Most of the soils in the tropics are known to be poor in fertility status and poor resource farmers do not often have the finance to procure adequate fertilizers needed for their crop. Hence, there is the need to supplement soil nutrients for optimal crop performance. A greenhouse study was carried out at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to evaluate maize performance using different rates of poultry manure (PM) and NPK fertilizer. The treatments used were 400 kg/ha NPK fertilizer, 80 kg/ha NPK + 8 t/ha PM, 160 kg/ha NPK + 6 t/ha PM, 240 kg/ha NPK + 4 t/ha PM, 320 kg/ha NPK + 2 t/ha PM, 10 t/ha PM, and a control. The treatments had significant effect on dry matter yield, plant height and leaf area of the maize plant. Treatment 8 t/ha PM + 80 kg/ha NPK though was the best combination; there is need for a field evaluation of the trial to make proper recommendations for the optimal treatment application for maize production.