OKOLI, O. A. and AGBIM, N. (2004). Relative Fertility Potentials of Termite and Earthworm Ammended Soils Along a Slope. I. Crop Performance. Niger Delta Biologia, vol. 4(2)42-46.
Abstract:
A greenhouse study of the relative forestry potential of small termite mounds collected at top, middle and bottom of the Edega hill. Nsukka in Enugu state Nigeria ( 21o average slope) and also earthworm costs at the bottom, along with the soils adjacent to each samples; was conducted over a two maize cropping periods of five weeks each. The different treatments were amended uniformly with poultry droppings at the rate of 10mt/ha after the first cropping. The dry matter maize yields of the termite modified soils at the middle and bottom slopes ( TMS – M and TMS-B) and earthworm modified soil (EMS) were significantly higher than those of their parent soils (TAS –M, and TAS-B) and earthworm modified soil (EMS) were significantly higher than those of their parent soils (*TAS-M, and TAS-B); at both the first and second cropping, at 5% probability level. The yields of the termite – modified soils were significantly different, with respect to position on the slope. The total dry matter yields of the TMS-M were highest (1.36g plant), followed by that of termite modified and at the top of the slope TMS-T (0.87g/plant) and then TMS-B (0.75gplants). also at the end of the second cropping, the pH values (in H20) of the termite modified soils (TMS-T, TMS-M, and TMS-B) and earthworm modified soil (TMS-T, TMS-M, and TMS-B) and earthworm modified soil (EMS) decreased by 1.00, 1.40, 1.33 and 0.13 respectively, while those of their parent soils (TAS-T and TAS-M) increased by 0.27 and 0.17 respectively. The pH of the bottom-unmodified soils (TAS-B) remained the same.
Click here to download full text.