Response of Maize to FYM, Gypsum and Pore Volume of Leaching Water in Saline Sodic Soil of Bisidimo, Babile District, Eastern Lowlands of Ethiopia

Abstract

A green house experiment was conducted during Oct-Dec2012 to evaluate the efficiency of selected treatment combinations of FYM, gypsum and pore volume (PV) of leaching water on growth parameters (number of leaves, plant height, leaf area, fresh and dry biomass) of maize (Zea mays L.) crop. Treatments included the combinations of the two rates (0 and 20 t ha -1 ) of FYM, four rates of gypsum (0, 50, 75 and 100% gypsum requirement, GR) and three (1.0, 2.0 and 3.0) PV of leaching water arranged in complete randomized design with three replications. The results indicated that growth parameters of maize showed significant (p < 0.005) response to combined application of treatments. Similarly, the responses of growth parameters to combined application of gypsum and PV of water were also significant. Maximum growth parameters were observed in the plots that received 20 t FYM ha -1 + 100% GR + 3.0 PV of water compared to other combinations. Results also indicated that increasing the GR by 25% showed consistent improvement in crop growth parameters across each PV of leaching water. Analysis of the post harvest soils showed that soils received combined applications of treatments decreased pH, ECe and SAR of saline sodic soils. However, significantly (p < 0.01) higher decrease in pH, ECe and SAR were recorded in the combined application of 20 t FYM ha -1 + 100% GR + 3.0 PV of water. Combination of 20 t FYM ha -1 + 50% GR + 3.0 PV of leaching water reduced pH, ECe and SAR by 7.5, 23.5 and 10.0% over the control, respectively. This combination is deemed suitable for improving soil properties to agriculturally permissible limits and for optimal maize crop production. Hence, this combination can be recommended for the production of economically optimal maize crop production in saline sodic soil of Baile low lands.