EFFECTS OF SOWING METHODS AND RATES OF POULTRY MANURE ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF ITCH (ROTTBOELLIA COCHINCHINENSIS) IN ALIERO, KEBBI STATE

A field trial was conducted during the 2023 rainy season at the orchard of Kebbi State
University of Science and Technology, Aliero. This work was aimed to investigate the effect
of sowing methods and rates of poultry manure (0.0, 3.5, and 5.5 kg/plot) on growth and
yield of itch grass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis). Treatments consisted of three sowing
methods (dibbling, drilling and broadcasting) laid out in a Randomized Complete Block
Design (RCBD) replicated nine times. The observations were; standard establishment count,
plant height, leaf length, leaf width and number of leaves/plants. The herbage yield of the
plant was measured at 12WAS. The plant height of itch grass was influenced with a mean
value of 96.03cm under dibbling method of sowing, leaf length of itch grass was statistically
the same, leaf width recorded with mean value of 1.99cm as highest under drilling method
of sowing, number of leaves per plant has a mean value of 28.10cm under broadcasting
method of sowing which was the highest. The herbage yield of itch grass was found to be
statistically significant. The mean standard establishment count was observed to be
significant (P≤0.05) for sowing methods, there was also significant influence of sowing
methods on the plant height, leaf width, and leaf number/plant and herbage yield in all levels
of sampling. The leaf length was also recorded not to be significantly affected (P≤0.05) by
the sowing methods at all levels of the treatments it could therefore be concluded that drilling
sowing method is the best for the yield of itch grass. It is also recommend that higher level
of poultry manure rates (5.5kg) should be tried on itch grass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis)
to discover the optimum performance of the grass under the poultry manure treatment. It is
also recommended that this study should serve as the baseline for subsequent and further
researches in the future on itch grass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis).