EFFECTS OF DECAYING LEAF LITTER AND INORGANIC FERTILIZERON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.)

The effects of decaying leaf litter of Tithonia diversifolia andVernonia amygdalina as organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer (NPK 15-15-15) andtheir combination effects on the growth and development of maize were studied ina screen house. Twenty-four experimental bags filled with 20 kg of loamy soilwere laid out in a completely randomized design with six treatments and fourreplications for each treatment which included: 250 g of decaying leaves ofT. diversifolia as mulch (T1), 250 g of decaying leaves of V. amygdalina (T2),1.52 g of NPK (inorganic) fertilizer (T3), a mixture of 250 g of decaying leaves ofT. diversifolia and 1.52 g of NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer (T4), a mixture ofV. amygdalina and 1.52 g of NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer (T5) and control (T6). Thesignificant growth as well as maize yields were obtained from T3 treated maizeseedlings, and this was closely followed by T4 treated seedlings. The study showedthat the decaying leaf litter as an organic fertilizer in maize production in a screenhouse conditions did not give better yield than NPK treatment alone.