THE EFFECTS OF THREE LEVELS OF UREA FERTILIZER AND THREE IRRIGATION SCHEDULES ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF GUINEA CORN (Sorghum bicolour (L) MOENCH) IN LAFIA, NIGERIA

¹Annu,U.J,   ¹NdorE. & ¹ Samuel,M

College of Agriculture Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Email: usmanannujibrin©gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Field experiment was conducted between February and April during the dry season of 2019, at the Research and Teaching Farm of College of Agriculture Lafia, Nasarawa state to “Asses the growth and yield response of an early sorghum variety using three levels of urea fertilizer and three irrigation schedule” The Red seeds of sorghum were sourced from Nasarawa Agricultural Development Programme, Lafia. (NADP).The treatments consisted of factorial combination of urea fertilizer at 3 levels (0 kg N, 40 kg N, 80 kg N), and three irrigation schedule,(1,2, and 3 days intervals). The treatments were laid out in split plot and were replicated two times. This was randomly arranged with each replication consisting of nine (9) plots. Each plot measured 1.5m². A space of 0.85cm was constructed between plots, with 1m inter plot boundary. Two seeds were planted per hole and were thinned to one plant per stand. Observations on growth and yield characters were taken and analyzed using Gemstat 12^th edition, and means were separated using DMRT. The result of the experiment revealed that the application of 40kg (1.2g) N (Urea) fertilizer alongside daily watering of the plants gave the best physiological growth, biomass weight, and seed yield. Higher interactions effect were found when 80kg (2.4g) N (urea) fertilizer was applied alongside daily application of water at vegetative growing stage

Keywords: Sorghum bicolor, Urea, Plant stand, irrigation schedule