Effect of different Mulching Materials on the Yield of Quality Protein Maize in Danbatta Local Government Area, Kano State Nigeria
Abstract
Field research was conducted on the effects of different mulching materials on the yield of Quantity protein maize which include polythene sheet, dry grasses and control. The different mulching materials were tested on nine (9) ridges each measuring 10m. The research was laid out in a completely randomized block design each treatment replicated three times. The parameters measured include weight of cobs, weight of 100grain, and total grain, there was no statistical difference in the weight cobs among all the treatments, similarly, there was also no statistical different in the weight of 100 grain. As far the weight of grain per 5m2 there was a significant difference among the treatments with polythene sheet covered plots that have 0.25kg, however, the grass-mulched plots 0.16kg was statistically similar to the control plots 0.15kg. And finally for store weight observed per 5m2, polythene sheet covered plots were significantly higher than grass-mulched plots which are also significantly different to control plots with the values of 1.23kg, 1.21kg and 0.71kg respectively.
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Introduction
Given the importance of maize in the Nigeria economy, one would have expected that the nation would be self-sufficient in the production of the crop. Considering the fact that the crop can be grown in most parts of the country (Ogunbiled and Olokosi, 1990), but one will wonder why the country is not self-sufficient in maize production. Problems cited as constraining the production of maize in Nigeria are stagnant production technology among Nigeria’s farming community majority of whom are the small scale producers and water resource management (Ahmed and Kura, 2007). To enhance crop production mulch, or a production cover applied to the soil surface so as to minimize water losses due to evaporation and enhanced water use efficiency was suggested by Ahmad and Kur a, 2007 when they showed that application of straw mulch significantly affect the performance of maize as yield of mulched plots significantly and positively increase the yield. Reporting an different Crop, Ramadan and Nwokocha, (2000), Sanda and Ogunwole (2006), shows that application of straw mulch resulted in yield increase of 5.2t/ha over that obtained from un mulch tomato plot and marketable fruit yield of the crop also increase significantly. Therefore this paper is aimed at studying the influence of mulch application on the yield of maize at Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Danbatta, Kano State, Nigeria.
Lobell and Burke (2010) suggested that an increase in temperature of 2°C would result in a greater reduction in maize yields within sub-Saharan Africa than a decrease in precipitation by 20%. A recent analysis of more than 20,000 historical maize trial yields in Africa over a period of eight years combined with weather data showed that for every degree day above 30°C grain yield was reduced by 1.0% an d 1.7 % under optimal rainfed and drought conditions, respectively (Lobell et al., 2011b).
Dry season and in some cases wet season maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most popular grain crops in the semiarid, but low air temperature and drought in April May often result in poor plant establishment. Recently, a method using double ridges and furrows mulched with plastic film for micro-catchment water harvesting has been considered a great technical innovation in dryland farming systems for wide use in spring maize (Gao et al., 2008). This technique has now been widely applied to maize in semiarid areas, and has completely replaced conventional tillage management owing to its significant effect on water harvesting and increased yields (Zhang et al., 2006; Ma et al., 2008).
Conclusion
In an area with erotic and unstable rainfall maize production can be enhance by the application of mulch especially polythene sheet mulch which a part from minimizing evaporation losses can also help to improve water use efficiently of the crop and if not available, dried grasses can be use as a mulching materials which has an added advantage of when decompose increase the organic matter content of the soil. Economically it is also wise to use polythene sheet as a mulching materials, because the yield difference as observed in this study can justify the cost of buying the polythene materials and when properly taken care of, it can be used for two or more season, but in a situation whereby polythene materials may be found too expensive or may not be available, the use of dried grasses could be an alternative, which could have an added advantage of when decomposes increases the organic carbon content of the soil.
