Growth and biomass yield of two Panicum maximum varieties as affected by weed management and fertilizer application methods in the Humid Savannah zone of Nigeria

Abstract

A field trial was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria to evaluate the effects of weed management and fertilizer application methods on growth and biomass yield of two Panicum maximum varieties. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with two fertilizer application methods. Two weed managements (weeded versus not weeded) and two Panicum varieties {(P. maximum local (unimproved) versus P. maximum Ntchisi (improved)} and two fertilizer application methods (single dose versus split) were set out in a 3x2x2 factorial arrangement. The unimproved P. maximum variety attained significantly (P<0.05) greater height compare to the improved variety while weed management and fertilizer application methods were not significant (P>0.05). Although the unimproved Panicum recorded higher values in leaflength (89.23 versus 76.01 cm) when compared with the improved variety while the leaf width (3.37 versus 3.67 cm), leaf density (639.24 versus 1 004.99 leaf m^-2), tiller density (130.82 versus 215.11 tiller m^-2) and herbage yield (20.56 versus 26.21 t ha^-1) produced were higher (P<0.05) for the improved P. maximum variety. Split application method significantly enhanced better herbage yield as compared to the single application and the unfertilized (control) treatment. The interaction between variety and time of harvest was highly significant (P<0.001) in growth parameters and biomass yields of the two grass varieties.