| dc.description.abstract | Maize (Zea mays L.) and collard (Brassica oleracea var acephala) are important food crops popular in Kenya and their production has a direct influence to nutrition and economic security. The high demand for these food crops has resulted to innovation of new farming techniques to increase their production. A study was conducted at Meru University of Science and Technology, Kenya demonstration Farm comprising of two experiments maize and collard experiment to assess the effects of land preparation method and organic amendments on soil physical properties, growth and yield of maize and collards. Collards were used to determine the residual effects of land preparation method and organic amendments on maize experiment. Therefore, this experiments were set up in randomized complete block (RCBD) designed in split plot arrangements. Land preparation method being the main plot and organic amendment being the subplots. Two land preparation method were used conservational and conventional land preparation method (CA and CT). The nutrient levels were 2.5 t ha-1 BSF, 5.5 t ha-1 BSF, 8.5 t ha-1 BSF, 2.5 t ha-1 BSF + Biochar, 5.5 t ha-1 BSF + Biochar, 2.5 t ha-1 BSF + Trichoderma spp. 125 g ha-1, 5.5 t ha-1 BSF + Trichoderma spp. 125 g ha-1, 5 t ha-1 FYM, 100 kg N ha-1 DAP and control. Data collected was on soil bulk density, soil moisture, vegetative growth and yields. Data collected data was analyzed using SAS 2007, and means were separated using the least significance difference test (p≤0.05). There was no significance interaction between land preparation method and organic amendments in both experiments. Land preparation method significantly (p<0.05) influenced soil moisture retention with conservational land preparation method recording higher soil moisture than conventional land preparation method. Land preparation method had no significance effect on maize and collard growth. Organic amendments influenced soil bulk density significantly (p<0.05) with 8.5 t ha-1BSF and 5.5 t ha-1 BSF + Biochar recording the lowest soil bulk density while control recorded the highest soil bulk density. Organic amendment also influenced vegetative growth and yields of maize significantly (p<0.05). Land preparation method had a residual effect on soil moisture, vegetative growth and yields of collards per plant. Organic amendments had a significant (p<0.05) residual effects on collard vegetative growth and yields than chemical fertilizer applied treatments and control. | en_US |
