Response of Gadam Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) to Farmyard Manure and Inorganic Fertilizer Application
Riziki Mwadalu
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Farm Yard Manure (FYM), mineral fertilizers (nitrogen and phosphorus), and their combination on the production of Gadam sorghum in a Kenya Semi-arid region of Makueni and Machakos counties. The first experiment evaluated the response of sorghum to N and P application at four levels (0, 25, 50, 75 kg ha-1) whereas the second evaluated the response of sorghum to the combined application of FYM (0, 5, and 10 tons ha-1) and N and P fertilizer (0 and 50 kg ha-1). Nitrogen application enhanced sorghum yields more than phosphorus addition. Combining N at 75 kg ha-1 and P at 50 kg ha-1 gave the highest sorghum grain yield in Kampi ya Mawe which was 135% higher than the control. In Katumani, combining 50 kg ha-1 N and 25 kg ha-1 P gave the highest mean grain yield, which was 68.3% more than the untreated control.