Integrated use of legume green manure, cattle manure and inorganic fertiliser for increased maize production in mid altitude areas of central Kenya
2002
Gitari, J.N.(KARI-National Agricultural Reseach Centre, Embu, Kenya) | Mureithi, J.G.(Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Nairobi (Kenya). National Agricultural Research Laboratories) | Karumba, S.K.(KARI-National Agricultural Reseach Centre, Embu, Kenya) | mwaniki, K.(KARI-National Agricultural Reseach Centre, Embu, Kenya)
The beneficial effects of combining legume green manures with other organic and inorganic nutrient sources were investigated using maize as a test crop. The study was conducted over three cropping seasons at Embu Regional Research Centre situated in the central Kenya highlands in 1998 to 1999. The study evaluated factorial combinations of a) three levels of nitrogen (0, 2.5 and 25 kg ha.1 b) two levels of cattle manure (0 and 2.5 t DM ha.l) and c) three levels of green manure (none, Mucuna pruriens (mucuna) and Crotaiaria ochroieuca (crotalaria). Dry matter production of the legume green manure in the first season was 8.1 and 6.3 t ha.1 for Mucuna and Crotalaria, respectively. Due to unfavourable rainfall, 0.4 and 2.3 t ha.1 of Mucuna and 0.2 and 1.4 t ha.lof Crotalaria was produced in the second and third seasons, respectively. In the first and second cropping seasons, differences among the treatment were not conspicuous. This was probably due to high residual fertility levels in the soil. During the third and final cropping season differences due to the treatments were more significant. All plots with organic as well as inorganic sources of nitrogen registered a higher maize yield than the control. The range in maize yield was 9.3 to 7.0 t ha.1
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