Effect of organic and inorganic fertilisers and their combination on napier grass dry matter yields in South west Kenya
2002
Masinde A. A. 0.(Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Nairobi (Kenya). National Agricultural Research Laboratories) | Ojowi, M.O.(Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Nairobi (Kenya). National Agricultural Research Laboratories) | Mbugua, D.M.(Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Nairobi (Kenya). National Agricultural Research Laboratories) | Odongo, J.A.(Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Nairobi (Kenya). National Agricultural Research Laboratories) | Shisya, M.A.(Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Nairobi (Kenya). National Agricultural Research Laboratories)
Inadequate quality feeds is a major constraint to livestock production in South-West Kenya. Participatory rural appraisals show that declining soil fertility and small land holdings are some of the causes of low forage productivity in the region. A farmer participatory study was carried at Nyamonyo, Bogetaorio and Nyatieko villages to evaluate the effects of inorganic and organic fertilisers and their combinations on napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) productivitity when grown alone or intercropped with silverleaf desmodium (Desmodium uncinatum) and dolichos (Lablab purpureus). The following treatments were evaluated at Nyamonyo and Bogetaorio on napier grass intercropped with silverleaf desmodium (1) no fertiliser application (Farmer practice), (2) 5 t farmyard manure (FYM) ha.t, (3) 30 kg P20s ha.t (4) 30 kg P2 Os ha.t + 5 t FYM ha.t and (5) 60 kg P2 Os ha.t. At Nyatieko only napier grass was planted and the 5 t FYM ha'i fertiliser treatment was replaced by 10 t FYM ha.t. A randomized complete block design was used with eight farms acting as replicates. Total dry matter yield of napier grassllegume intercrops or napier grass grown alone were significantly increased when 60 kg P20s ha,l (recommended rate of diammonium phosphate fertiliser) or 5 t FYM ha.l + 30 kg P20s ha.l (half the recommended rate of diamonium phosphate and FYM) was used. Net benefits were also high when the two treatments were used but Benefit Cost Ratio was highest in the no fertilzer (control) and 60 kg P2 Os ha.l treatments.
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