Growth and Biomass Yield of Maize Crop (Zea Mays L) In Response to Complimentary Inorganic and Organic Fertilizer Treatment under Farm Management Trial in Akure, Nigeria

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during the wet season of 2026 at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal University of Technology, Akure. The aim is to examine the response of maize growth and biomass yield to inorganic (NPK) and complimentary organic fertilizer treatments. Initial soil samples were collected randomly from the experimental site and analyzed for some nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, pH) and microbial (bacteria, fungi) population. The experiment was carried out using four treatments, organic, inorganic, organic plus inorganic and control with each treatment replicated three times. Each plot has a dimension of 3 m x 4 m. Agronomic parameters measured were plant height (cm), stem circumference (cm) and biomass yield (g). The results shows that at 10WAS), plot treated with organic plus inorganic fertilizer had the highest stem height (284.67cm); stem circumference (11.32 cm); and leaf dry weight (69.50g). The control treatment which had no fertilizer application recorded the least value of all agronomic parameters measured. The use of the combination of organic and inorganic fertilizer is therefore recommended for smallholder farmers for increased crop yield and soil fertility improvement under intensive continuous cultivation.