PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF Zea mays AS INFLUENCED BY DIFFERENT SUBSTRATES AND FERTILIZER APPLICATION RATES IN A SOILLESS FARMING SYSTEM

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of different substrates and fertilizer application rates on the proximate composition of Zea mays (corn) in a soilless farming system at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, Nigeria. Three substrates which are coco peat, grow mix, and rice husk were tested, along with fertilizer rates of 0, 120, and 240 kg/ha as it influence the contents of crude protein (CP), Dry matter (DM), Ether extract (EE), Crude fiberand Nitrogen-free extract (NFE) in the plants. The experiment was laid out as a 3 X 3 factorial arrangement replicated four times.Results showed that the effects of different substrates significantly (p<0.05) influenced the crude protein, ether extract, and ash contents of Zea mays. However, there were nosignificant differences in dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, and nitrogen-free extract. The results also show the interaction effects between the substrates and fertilizer application rates significantly affected dry matter (DM), ether extract (EE), ash, and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) contents. Dry matter content ranged from 90.60% in unfertilized Zea mays planted in rice husk to 93.59% in plants grown using grow mix as the substrate and fertilized at 240 kg/ha. The highest EE content (5.30%) was recorded in plants grown in grow mix and fertilized at 120 kg/ha, while the lowest value (3.75%) was observed in plants sown using coco peat and fertilized at 240 kg/ha. Ash content ranged from 6.75% in unfertilized pots with rice husk to 7.94% in grow mix pots fertilized at 120 kg/ha. NFE content also varied significantly, with the highest value (63.87%) recorded in unfertilized pots with rice husk and the lowest value (61.45%) in grow mix pots fertilized at 120 kg/ha. The study concludes that Maize harvested in coco peat filled bags had high levels of crude protein and crude fiber, while grow mix has high level of ether extract and ash content and Maize fertilized at 240kg/ha had the least level of crude protein and ether extract.