Influence of Application of Poultry manure on productivity of soybean/sesame mixture and plant arrangement in the Southern Guinea Savanna Ecological Zone of Nigeria

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the National Cereals Research Institute, Research Farm, Badeggi, Niger State in the Southern Guinea Savanna agro-ecological zone of Nigeria to study the productivity of Soybean/Sesame mixture as influenced by poultry manure(PM) and plant arrangement(PAR) in the 2019 and 2020 wet seasons. The treatment consisted of three levels of poultry manure (0, 5 and 10 t/ha and two plant arrangement ( Single alternate row SAR and double alternate row DAR arrangement). The factorial combination of PM and PAR were laid out in a randomized block design with four replications. Application of 5t PM/ha increased number of Soybean pods and sesame capsules per plant and seed yields of both crops but reduced 1000-seed weight of sesame compared to plots which did not receive manure treatments. The application of both rates of PM (5t/ha-1 and 10t/ha-1) to soybean/sesame mixture increased both the partial and total LERs of the crop compared to those which receive no PM treatments. Sowing in DARs resulted in significantly higher number of soybean pods/plant, 1000 seed weight of sesame and seed yields of both crops than SARs.. The effect of PAR on 100-seed weight, number of capsules (plant and LERs of soybeans were not significant. The results of LERs show that the efficiency and benefits of soybeans/sesame mixture over pure stands of each crop were enhanced by the application of 5t/PM ha and sowing in DARs.