Performance of an accelerated compost as influenced by ecological zones: A case study of derived savannah and rain forest in Nigeria

Abstract

Accelerated compost (AC) biotechnology that reduces composting time to less than one month is gradually finding its way to farmers. This study therefore evaluated the fertilizer potential of a brand of commercial AC (OBD-plus) on a degraded Alfisol in Ibadan (derived savannah) and Ultisol in Ikenne (rain forest) of Nigeria, using maize as a test crop. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The treatments were AC at 0, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 kg N ha -1 , mineral fertilizer (NPK 15-15-15) and conventional compost (CC), each at 60 kgN/ha. Data collected on biomass yield, maize grain yield (MGY, t ha -1 ) and post-cropping soil chemical properties were subjected to ANOVA at α0.05. The average highest MGY from Ibadan (3.90) and Ikenne (3.86) were obtained from AC (180 kg N/ha), but these were not significantly different from other AC rates and NPK. The least MGY was obtained from control (2.1 and 2.0) which was significantly less than the CC (3.16 and 2.90). The AC improved the post-cropping soil pH, N and K. The mean MGY obtained from the six levels of AC in Ibadan; 3.44 and 3.98 t ha -1 in 2013 and 2014 were not significantly different from Ikenne (3.41 and 3.84 t ha -1 ). However, maize in Ibadan gave significantly higher biomass yield (19.40 t ha -1 ) than that of Ikenne (17.74 t ha-1) in 2013, with similar trend in 2014. Accelerated compost at 60 kg N ha -1 improved maize grain yield and post cropping soil properties in Ibadan and Ikenne, Nigeria as much as conventional compost. The performance of the accelerated compost was not location dependent in terms of MGY, but resulted in higher biomass production in the derived savannah ecology.