EFFECT OF POULTRY LITTER ON THE YIELD OF TWO MAIZE VARIETIES IN THE NIGERIAN SAVANNA

Field experiments were conducted at the Bauchi State Agricultural Programme Research Farm, Bauchi during the 2002 and 2003 wet seasons to study the response of two maize varieties to different levels of poultry litter. Two varieties [Obatampa, quality protein maize (QPM) and Downy mildew Resistant (DMR)] and five levels of poultry litter (0,2,4,6 and 8 tonnes / ha) were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that varietal effect was not significant on the yield and yield components of maize during both years of experimentation. Poultry litter significantly affected the cob length, cob weight, shelling percentage and grain yield of maize during all the years. Application of 2t/ha of poultry litter significantly increased the maize grain yield and further increase of poultry litter beyond (2t/ha) did not significantly increase the grain yield. Therefore application of poultry litters at the rate of 2t/ha was recommended for growing these two maize varieties in the Nigerian savanna