CHANGES IN MINERAL CONTENT OF Panicum maximum var Ntchisi AS INFLUENCED BY POULTRY MANURE RATE AND AGE AT HARVEST

Abstract

The effects of poultry manure rate and age at harvest on the mineral content of Panicum maximum var Ntchisi was carried out at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. The N rates were 0, 100, 200 and 300 kgN ha-1 and the age at harvest was at 4, 8 and 12 12 weeks after cutback. The experiment was a 4 x 3 factorial in a Randomized complete block design which amount to twelve (12) treatment combinations with four replicates. The results showed that the manure rate had significant (P<0.05) effect on the all the macro and micro mineral content of the grass, same was observed for the age at harvest except for the Cu content. The calcium content as affected by manure rate ranged between 2.76 to 4.35 gKg-1 DM The age at harvest (P<0.05) affected the calcium content, which ranged from 2.90 gKg-1 DM in the grass harvested at 12WAC
and 3.74 gKg-1 DM in the grass harvested at 4WAC. Manure rate influenced the phosphorus content which ranged from 0.76 gKg-1 DM in the unfertilized grass to 1.78 gKg-1 DM in the grass to which 300 kgNha-1 was applied. The phosphorus content declined with maturity.