Effect of Composted Municipal Solid Waste and Npk Fertilizer on the Growth and Yield of Maize (Zea Mays L) in Nsukka

ABSTRACT

Municipalities are facing a growing problem of how to safely dispose off their wastes. Municipal solid waste (MSW) is waste from households, commercial centres, and institutions (school, offices). Composting is used to reduce huge pile of biodegradable MSW and convert it into value-added product like manure and biogas. Inorganic fertilizer such as NPK also exerts strong influence on plant growth, development and yield. Two-year experiments were conducted in the Teaching and Research Farm of the 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 4 factorial experiment in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications was used for the study. 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 of leaves, days to first tasseling, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, ear weight, ear height, ear circumference, cob weight, 100 grain weight, grain yield and harvest index. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). The means were separated using Fisher’s least significant difference (F-LSD). Plant height, leaf area, number of leaves and stem girth increased with increase in NPK and MSW rates while days to tasselling and silking was reduced. The 100 grain weight, grain yield per hectare and harvest index were significantly increased with increase in MSW and NPK rates. Proximate composition followed the same trend apart from carbohydrate content which decreased with increase in application rates of MSW and NPK. Application of either 2000 kg/ha MSW or 300 kg/ha NPK gave the highest yield of maize in 2011 and 2012. The 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 other treatment 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 rates required for maize production since performance increased up to the highest rates of MSW and NPK fertilizer. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page - - - - - - - - - - - i

Certification - - - - - - - - - - - ii

Dedication - - - - - - - - - - - iii

Acknowledgement - - - - - - - - - - iv

Abstract - - - - - - - - - - - v

Table of contents - - - - - - - - - - vi

List of table - - - - - - - - - - - ix

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - 1

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW - - - - - - 3

Municipal Solid Waste Composting Process - - - - - - - 4

Composting - a Microbiological Process - - - - - - - 5

Advantages and Disadvantages of Composting - - - - - - 6

Municipal Solid Waste Compost and Crop Production - - - - - 7

Municipal Solid Waste Compost and the Environment - - - - - 7

Municipal Solid Waste Compost and NPK Integration - - - - - 8

Effect of Municipal Solid Waste Compost on Soil - - - - - - 9

Maize Production - - - - - - - - - - 10

CHAPTER THREE: MATERIALS AND METHODS - - - - - 11

Land Preparation and Field Layout - - - - - - - - 13

Experimental Design - - - - - - -- - - - 13

Data Collection - - - - - - - - - - 15

Laboratory Studies - - - - - - - - - - 16

Statistical Analysis - - - - - - - - - - 17

Analysis of Soil Sample - - - - - - - - - 17

Proximate Analysis on Maize - - - - - - - - - 21

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS - - - - - - - - 24

Effect of Composted Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and NPK fertilizer on the growth and yield of maize in 2011 - - - - - - - - - 26

Plant Height - - - - - - - - - - - 28

Stem Girth - - - - - - - - - - - 31

Reproductive Traits - - - - - - - - - - - 34

Fresh Weight - - - - - - - - - - - 37

Dry Weight - - - - - - - - - - - - 37

Yield Components - - - - - - - - - - -- 39

Yield Traits - - - - - - - - - - - -- 42

Shelling Percentage and Harvest Index - - - - - - - - 44

Effect of Composted Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and NPK fertilizer on the growth and yield of maize in 2012 - - - - - - - - - 46

Leaf area - - - - - - - - - - - - 46

Plant Height - - - - - - - - - - - - 48

Stem Girth - - - - - - - - - - - - 51

Reproductive Traits - - - - - - - - - - - 54

Fresh Weight -- - - - - - - - - - - 54

Dry Weight - - - - - - - - - - - - 55

Yield Components - - - - - - - - - - 58

Yield Traits - - - - - - - - - - - - 59

Shelling Percentage and Harvest Index - - - - - - - - 59

Proximate Composition - - - - - - - - - - - 63

Effect of Year on Vegetative Traits - - - - - - - - - 66

Effect of Year on Yield Traits - - - - - - - - - 66

Year x NPK Fertilizer Interaction Effect on Vegetative Traits - - - - 69

Effect of Year x NPK Interaction on Yield Traits - - - - - - 69

Year x MSW Interaction on Vegetation Traits - - - - - - 72

Effect of Year x MSW Interaction on Yield - - - - - - - 74

Effect of Year x MSW x NPK Interaction on Vegetative Traits - - - - 76

Effect of Year x MSW x NPK on Yield Traits - - - - - - 78

CHATER FIVE: DISCUSSION - - - - - - - - 80

CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION - - - - - - - - 83

REFERENCES - - - - - - - - - - 84