Abstract:
Field trials were conducted during the rainy
season of 2008 and 2009 at the Institute for Agricultural
Research farm in Samaru (110 11’ N, 70 38’E) within the
northern Guinea savanna ecological zone of Nigeria to
evaluate correlation relationships among soil, yield and
yield quality of maize varieties. The objectives of the study
are to correlate among soil, grain yield and grain
composition. The treatments consisted of four rates of
nitrogen fertilizer (0, 50, 100 and 150kgNha-1), two rates
of micronutrients (0, cocktail mixtures) Cu, Fe, Zn, B and
Mo and four maize varieties SAMMAZ 14, SUSUMA
(QPM), SAMMAZ 11 and SAMMAZ 12 (normal maize)
which gave a total of thirty-two (32) treatments. There was
basal application of 60kgha-1P and 60kgha-1K. These
treatments were tested in a randomized complete block
design with three replications with a total of 96 plots
respectively. The fertilizer treatments were factorially
combined. Significant correlations were obtained between
grain parameters and other yield parameters such as
Stover (r= 0.669, P < 0.05); 1000grain weight (r= 0.617,
P < 0.05); crude proteins (r= 0.364, P< 0.05) and total
nitrogen in grain (r =0.993, P < 0.05). Grain yield also
increased as soil pH (r =0.26, P < 0.01); TN (r =0.19, P <
0.01); Calcium (r =0.17, P <0.05); Zn (r =0.24, P <
0.01); Cu (r =0.31, P < 0.01) and B (r =0.49, P <0.05)
increased while it decreased as crude protein ( -0.39,
P<0.05) of the grain decreased.
