Global Journal of Science Frontier Research, D: Agriculture and Veterinary, Volume 22 Issue 1

The formula for depreciation using straight line method is given as; Depreciation = Purchase/No of Useful Years of the Asset h) Data Analysis All data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and correlation analysis. Significant mean values were separated with Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. All data were analyzed using SAS program. i) Procedure for data recording Collection of data commenced from 2weeks and followed by4, 6 and 8 weeks after planting (WAP) after when fresh maize was harvested. To record plant height of maize, ten plants were randomly selected from each plot and measured from the ground level to the tip of the plant. Average Number of Leaves and proportion of plants were physically counted and recorded. The yield was determined by measuring cob weight and dry grain weight of 100 grains. Cost of materials used and price of maize were determined through reigning market prices. The US$ equivalent was obtained using official exchange of US$1 to N500 (as at December 2021) V. R esults and D iscussion a) Soil Analysis Maize is an exhaustive crop, demanding nutrients at all stages of its growth. Among the most essential nutrients required by maize crop for healthy growth and high yield are; nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). N plays a vital role in overall production (Abbas et al., 2016) as it is linked with dark green color of vegetative parts, branching and leaf production. P is considered to be the second important nutrient, as it influences the growth and yield related traits of plants that are ultimately allotted to the embryo to improve seed vigor (Seyyedi et al., 2015). K plays an important role in persistently keeping the plants standing during strong winds and its deficiency or inadequate supply always result into stunted growth and reduced yield (Wikkipaedia, 2018). However, most Nigerian soils including the experimental site are deficient in NPK nutrients (Olowoake et al., 2015), these nutrients therefore need to be supplied. The finding implies that maize crop will respond positively to nutrient treatment. b) Analysis of Moringa leaves, Banana peels and Maize stalks The different treatments in the study involves the use of, Moringa oleifera leaves (MO), Banana Peels (BP) and Maize Stalks (MS) and these are shown in Table 2 to possess nutrients (NPK) beyond the critical requirement for maize good performance (Ayodele and Omotosho 2008) Potential of Bio-Organic Mix as an Alternative to Inorganic Fertilizer in Maize Production in Africa 1 Year 2022 13 © 2022 Global Journals Global Journal of Science Frontier Research Volume XXII Issue ersion I VI ( D ) Table 1: Physical and chemical properties of the experimental soil Physical properties Soil test value pH (H 2 O) 6.8 Sand 82.4 Silt 6.4 Clay 11.2 Textural class Sandy loam Chemical properties: Exchangeable Bases (cmol/kg) Ca 1.65 Mg 1.02 K 0.3 Na 0.57 ECEC 3.59 Base saturation (%) 98.61 Total N (%) 0.08 Total Organic C(%) 0.66 Available P(mg/kg) 33.13 Micro nutrients (mg/kg) Mn 32.33 Fe 8.5 Cu Zn 0.55 0.78 Source; field survey 2020