Effects of Poultry and Cattle Manures on Rhizospheric Bacterial Dynamics and Maize Yield in Wetland Soils of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63561/jabs.v3i1.1174Keywords:
Poultry Manure, Cattle Dung, Rhizospheric Bacteria, Wetland Soil, Maize YieldAbstract
The study, Effect of Poultry and Cattle Manures on Rhizosphere Bacteria Dynamics and Maize Yield in Wetland Soils of Akwa Ibom State was done. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three treatments: control (no amendment), poultry manure, and cattle dung. Baseline soil analysis revealed moderate acidity (pH 5.42 ± 0.11), low organic carbon (1.23%), and low nitrogen (0.11%), typical of nutrient-depleted wetland soils. The applied manures differed in nutrient quality, with poultry manure having higher organic carbon (25.8%), total nitrogen (2.65%), and available phosphorus (48.7 mg kg⁻¹) than cattle dung. Post-treatment results showed improvements in soil pH, organic matter, and nutrient content, particularly under poultry manure. Rhizospheric bacterial populations at 6 and 12 weeks after planting were markedly higher in poultry manure-treated plots, with total heterotrophic bacteria reaching 11.26 × 10⁶ CFU g⁻¹ compared to 6.12 × 10⁶ CFU g⁻¹ in the control. Molecular identification revealed dominant species such as Azotobacterchroococcum, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas fluorescens—key functional bacteria involved in nitrogen and phosphate utiilization, and plant growth promotion. Maize growth and yield parameters, including plant height (133.5 cm), grain yield (4.86 t ha⁻¹), and harvest index (0.53), were significantly enhanced under poultry manure application. Correlation analysis showed strong positive relationships (r ≥ 0.85, p ≤ 0.01) among soil nutrients, Azotobacter population, and yield, indicating microbial–nutrient synergy. It was recommended that poultry manure be adopted as a sustainable soil amendment to improve microbial health and maize productivity in wetland soils of Akwa Ibom State.
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