Growth and Yield Responses of NERICA Rice Varieties to Different Sources of Organic Fertilizer in Transitory Rainforest Zone of Nigeria

Two field studies were conducted to investigate growth and yield responses of NERICA rice cultivars to organic fertiliser sources, at the Teaching and Research Farm of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) between May 31 and September 30 of 2009 and OgbeEruku Village (OEV), Owode - Egba, Ogun State, Nigeria between July 7 and November 30 also in 2009. FUNAAB is a transition between rainforest and a derived savanna whereas OEV is in a rainforest zone. The experiment was a 10 × 3 × 2 factorial in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated three times. The treatments were three rice varieties (NERICA 1, NERICA 2, and Ofada) and three application rates of different manure types (poultry manure at 0 t/ha^-1, 10 t/ha^-1 and 20 t/ha^-1; cow dung at 0 t/ha^-1, 7 t/ha^-1 and 14 t/ha^-1; swine manure at 0 t/ha^-1, 3.5 t/ha^-1 and 7 t/ha^-1). These levels are equivalent to 0 kg N/ha^-1, 45 kg N/ha^-1, and 90 kg N/ha^-1. The results indicated significant (P < 0.05) varietal variability on dry matter accumulation at maturity in the order NERICA 1 > Ofada > NERICA 3. Inorganic fertiliser source at recommended rate recorded significantly (P < 0.05) higher effect on all growth parameters compared to organic sources. Growth characters were significantly higher at FUNAAB than OEV, conversely grain yield was significantly higher at OEV, where NERICA 1 at higher application rates of poultry and swine manure recorded grain yield comparative to inorganic fertiliser at recommended rate.