Effects of Poultry Manure and Spent Mushroom Substrate on Soil, Weed and Maize Performance in an Ultisol

Field experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State to determine effects of poultry manure and spent mushroom substrate on soil, weed and maize performance in an Ultisol. The experiment consisted of five treatments namely: control (0 tons/ha), 5 tons / ha of poultry manure (PM5), 10 tons / ha of poultry manure (PM10), 2.5 tons / ha of poultry manure + 2.5 tons / ha of spent mushroom substrate (PM2.5 + SWS2.5) and 5 tons / ha of poultry manure + 5 tons / ha of spent mushroom substrate (PM5 + SWS5). The treatments were laid out in randomized complete design (RCBD) and replicated four times. Result showed that Bulk density ranged from 1.18 g cm-3 for PM5 to 1.35 g cm-3 for the control, total porosity ranged from 21.22% for the control to 34.62% for PM5, saturated hydraulic conductivity ranged from 12.96 cm/hr for the control to 23.13 cm/hr for PM10. Aggregates stability ranged from 0.587 mm for the control to 0.784 mm for PM10. Poultry manure and spent mushroom substrate significantly (P < 0.05) increased soil organic carbon, pH and total N compared with the control. At 12 weeks after sowing (WAS) plots that received 5 tons/ha tends to have better weed suppression than other treatments. Plots that received 10 tons/ha of poultry manure produced the tallest plants while plots that received 5tons/ha of poultry manure had the highest leaf area index and grain yield when compared to other treatments. Since the application of poultry manure at 5 tons/ha can greatly improve soil physico-chemical properties, suppressed weed growth which led to higher grain yield of maize, it is thus recommended to farmers in the area of study