Effects of Animal Faeces and Their Extracts on Maize Yield in an Ultisol of Eastern Nigeria

Abstract: In this work, the potential use of organic wastes in improving the productivity of the low-base status of an ultisol was evaluated in the greenhouse using a completely randomized design. There were twelve treatments replicated four times including the control. The treatments were solid poultry droppings, piggery dung and cow dung and their extracts obtained after soaking for one week, two weeks, and more than two weeks. These treatments were properly applied to 2 kg of potted soil (equivalent of 15 t ha^-1) and planted with maize grains at a rate of two grains per pot and thinned down to one seedling after germination. The results showed that extract from poultry droppings soaked for more than two weeks gave the highest yield of maize dry matter (18.30 g plant^-1), followed by extracts from pig dung soaked for more than two weeks which yielded (18.14 g plant^-1) and solid poultry dropping (17.47 g plant^-1) while solid cow done or its extracts gave the lowest yield of (5.08 g plant^-1) but all were significantly higher than control (1.84 g plant^-1). All the treatments significantly increased the soil organic matter, exchangeable bases, cation exchange capacity and the available phosphorus. With the increase of soil nutrients following the application of the organic wastes, all amendments increased maize performance over the control. The recommended best form of the animal manure for optimum maize growth was the liquid form especially that of poultry that was soaked for more than two weeks.