Effects of Chicken Manure, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertillizers on Wheat Yield in Karu and High Terrace Soils in River Nile State - Sudan

This research studied the effect of chicken manure and/or nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers on wheat yield and yield components in high terrace and Karu soil in River Nile State. The objectives of this study were to test the effect of chicken manure alone or in combination with N and P fertilizer on wheat yield. Two field experiments were executed in Karu and high terrace soils for two consecutive seasons (2008/09 and 2009/10) at Hudeiba Research farm, River Nile State, Sudan. The experiments consisted of nine treatments: three levels of chicken manure (2, 4 and 6 ton/ha) with and without nitrogen (86 kgN/ha 2N); 2N; 2N + 5 ton/ha cattle manure and a control treatment. The above treatments were used for the experiment in the Karu soil. In the experiment at the high terrace soil, phosphorus fertilizer at level of 43kgP2O5/ha (IP) was used for every treatment containing nitrogen. A randomized Complete Block Design was used with four replications. Wheat variety Bohain was used with a seed rate of 120 kg/ha. Results indicated that chicken manure increased grain yield, biological yield, number of spikes mE-2, 10 head seed weight, 1000 seed weight, plant height, and total N and P uptake. Addition of two doses of nitrogen fertilizer in Karu soil gave a grain yield of 2571 kg/ha i.e. out yielded the control by 87% and in high terrace soil addition of 2N + 1P fertilizer increased grain yield to 2147 kg/ha i.e.by 94% over the control. Chicken manure at 2, 4 and 6 ton/ha compared with control increased grain yield by 26%, 78% and 93% in Karu soil and by 86%, 108% and 132% in high terrace soil. Combination of nitrogen with different rates of chicken manure (2, 4 and 6 ton/ha) compared with nitrogen increased grain yield by 17%, 26% and 25% in Karu soil and by 24%, 29% and 31 % in high terrace soil. Chicken manure at all levels (2, 4 and 6 ton) with the inorganic fertilizer out yielded the recommended level of cattle manure (5 ton/ha) with inorganic fertilizer in high terrace soil. Consequently a combination of 4 tons Ch/ha plus 2N or 2N + IP in karu and high terrace soils, respectively, is recommended for wheat production in these soils