Effects of NPK and Cow Dung on the Performance of Rice (Oryza sativa) in the Sudan Savanna Agro-ecological Zone of Nigeria

This study evaluated the effect of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK 20-10-10) and cow dung on the performance of rice at two locations (Sokoto and Talata Mafara) in the Sudan savanna zone of Nigeria, during the 2012/2013 dry season. The treatments consisted of nine different combinations of cow dung and NPK fertilizer with an absolute control, using rice (FARO 44) as a test crop. The treatments were laid out in a Randomize Complete Block Design (RCBD) and replicated three times. The combined application of cow dung and NPK fertilizer significantly (p < 0.05) increased most of the results obtained with regards to locations compared to the control plots. The growth and yield parameters of rice considered were significantly (p <0.05) affected by the treatments except one thousand grain weight. Application of 8 t ha-1 of cow dung in combination with 400 kg ha-1 NPK 20:10:10 gave the highest grain yield (5.77 t ha-1) at Sokoto, while application of 12 t ha-1 of cow dung in combination with 300 kg ha-1 NPK 20:10:10 gave the highest grain yield (6.50 t ha-1) at Talata Mafara. In conclusion, it is recommended that application of 12 t ha-1 of cow dung in combination with 300 kg ha-1 NPK 20:10:10 resulted in the best soil nutrient enrichment and yield of rice in Sokoto and Talata Mafara. The result showed that judicious application of cow dung with NPK fertilizers could be a useful practice for better performance of Rice in the study areas compared to the control plots which significantly recorded the least.