Effect of Inorganic Fertilizer on Soil Properties, Growth and Yield of Maize in Makurdi, Southern Guinea Savanna Zone of Nigeria

Field experiment was conducted with the objective to determine the effect of inorganic fertilizer on soil properties, growth and yield of maize at the Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Southern Guinea Savanna Zone of Nigeria, during 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons. The experimental treatments consisted of 0, 75, 150 and 300 kg ha-1 of NPK fertilizer laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and replicated thrice. Soil samples were collected from a plough layer of 0-15 cm before and after the experiment for each cropping season according to the treatments and were analyzed for particle size distribution (PSD), soil pH, organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus, exchangeable cations and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Maize plant (growth and yield) data collected were subjected to analysis of variance after which significant means were separated using least significant difference (LSD) at P < 0.05. From the results, the effects of fertilizer treatments on soil properties investigated were significant. Application of fertilizer increased soil organic matter (SOM), TN and CEC in both cropping seasons. However, the SOM was low in all plots with no application of fertilizer. Exchangeable bases, base saturation and CEC reduced in 2017 in no fertilizer treatments but remarkably increased in 2018 due to application of 75, 150 and 300 kg ha-1. The 300 kgha-1 NPK fertilizer applications produced higher growth and yields of maize plant than remaining treatments. Similarly, soil properties (soil pH, SOM, TN and CEC) were also improved with application higher levels of mineral fertilizers for agricultural production.