Effect of composted municipal solid waste and npk fertilizer on the growth and yield of maize (zea mays l)

Project Abstract

The utilization of composted municipal solid waste (CMSW) as an organic fertilizer has gained significant attention in agriculture due to its potential to enhance soil fertility and sustain crop productivity. This study aimed to investigate the effect of composted municipal solid waste in comparison with NPK fertilizer on the growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with four treatments Control (no fertilizer application), NPK fertilizer, CMSW, and a combination of NPK fertilizer and CMSW. The growth parameters assessed included plant height, leaf area, and stem girth, while yield components such as cob length, cob diameter, number of grains per cob, and grain weight per cob were also measured. The results indicated that the application of CMSW alone or in combination with NPK fertilizer significantly improved the growth and yield parameters of maize compared to the control and NPK fertilizer alone. The plants treated with CMSW showed increased plant height, leaf area, and stem girth, suggesting better vegetative growth. Additionally, the CMSW application resulted in enhanced yield components, including longer cobs, larger cob diameter, higher number of grains per cob, and increased grain weight per cob compared to other treatments. The combined application of NPK fertilizer and CMSW also showed positive effects on maize growth and yield, indicating a synergistic relationship between organic and inorganic fertilizers. This combination enhanced the nutrient availability in the soil, leading to improved plant growth and higher maize yield. Furthermore, the use of CMSW as an organic fertilizer demonstrated its potential as a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers, promoting environmentally friendly agricultural practices. In conclusion, the findings of this study highlight the beneficial effects of composted municipal solid waste on maize growth and yield. The results support the use of CMSW as an effective organic fertilizer that can enhance soil fertility, improve crop productivity, and contribute to sustainable agricultural practices. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term impacts of CMSW application on soil health, crop quality, and environmental sustainability.

Project Overview

<p> </p><p>Municipalities are facing a growing problem of how to safely dispose off their wastes. Municipalsolid waste (MSW) is waste from households, commercial centres, institutions (school, offices).Composting is used to reduce huge pile of biodegradable MSW and convert it into value addedproduct like manure and biogas. Inorganic fertilizer such as NPK also exerts strong influence onplant growth, development and yield. Two year experiments were conducted in the Teaching andResearch Farm of Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nigeria,Nsukka to determine the response of maize to MSW compost and NPK fertilizer application. A 4 x 4factorial experiment in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications was used for the study.</p><p>The two factors were MSW (0, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 t/ha) and NPK (20:10:10) (0, 100,200 and 300 kg/ha). The following data were collected: leaf area, Plant height, stem girth, number ofleaves, days to first tasseling, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, ear weight, ear height, earcircumference, cob weight, 100 grain weight, grain yield and harvest index. Data collected weresubjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). The means were separated using Fisher’s leastsignificant difference (F-LSD). Plant height, leaf area, number of leaves and stem girth increasedwith increase in NPK and MSW rates while days to tasselling and silking was reduced. The 100grain weight, grain yield per hectare and harvest index were significantly increased with increase inMSW and NPK rates. Proximate composition followed the same trend apart from carbohydratecontent which decreased with increase in application rates of MSW and NPK. Application of either2000 kg/ha MSW or 300 kg/ha NPK gave the highest yield of maize in 2011 and 2012.Complementary application of MSW and NPK was significantly higher than sole application.Combination of 2.0 t/ha MSW with 300 kg/ha NPK had significantly higher effect than othertreatment combination in both years and were found satisfactory for achieving high yields in maize.It is recommended that further research should be carried out to determine the optimum ratesrequired for maize production since performance increased up to the highest rates of MSW and NPK fertilizer</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <br><p></p>