ABSTRACT

 Incubation experiment, pot experiment and two field trails were conducted at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike in 2005 and 2006 planting season to evaluate the liming qualities of some local liming materials, determine the effects of these materials on some soil chemical properties and to determine the effect of the liming materials on maize yield. The treatments comprised of Cocoa Husk Pod Ash (CPHA), Oyster Shell Ash (OSA), Palm Bunch Ash (PBA), Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), Kitchen Residues Ash (KRA) and Saw Dust Ash (SDA) at five levels namely, 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 tonnes per hectare, and these were replicated three times in a split plot in Completely Randomized Design for the incubation and pot experiments. The Field trail's design was a split plot design in a Randomized Complete Block Design, with type of the liming materials in the main plots and the levels in the subplots. The effects of the treatments were measured on soil pH, exchangeable acidity, exchangeable calcium, exchangeable potassium, exchangeable sodium, exchangeable magnesium, total nitrogen, soil organic matter and available phosphorus. The maize plant parameters measured were, plant height, stem diameter, number of roots, root lengths, dry matter yield and grain yield. Maize uptake of the following nutrients were also determined; phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese and iron. All (lie data were subjected to the analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the MSTATC statistical package and the differences between the treatments were tested using the least significant differences at 5% probability level; linear correlation analyses were done using the GENSTAT package. The result showed that 2, 4, 6 and 8 tonnes per hectare of cocoa pod husk ash, and kitchen residues ash significantly (P

<0.05) increased the soil pH and reduced the exchangeable acidity during the incubation study, whereas 2, 4, 6 and 8 tonnes per hectare of kitchen residues ash significantly (P><0.05) increased the soil pH and reduced the exchangeable acidity in the 2005 and 2006 planting season. For the soil available phosphorus, 2, 4, 6 and 8 tonnes per hectare of kitchen residues ash and sawdust ash significantly (P><0.05) increased the soil available phosphorus in the experiments conducted. Exchangeable potassium was increased by 2, 4, 6, and 8 tonnes per hectare of Cocoa pod husk ash, Palm bunch ash, 6 and 8 tonnes per hectare of Saw dust ash and 2 tonnes per hectare of Kitchen residues ash significantly (P><0.05) increased the soil exchangeable potassium. Soil exchangeable calcium was significantly (P><0.05) increased by 2, 4, 6 and 8 tonnes per hectare of Kitchen residues ash, Oyster shell ash and Calcium Carbonate. Two tonnes per hectare of Kitchen residues ash significantly (P><0.05) increased the phosphors and calcium uptake in the maize. Two, four, six and eight tonnes per hectare of kitchen residues ash, Oyster shell ash, Cocoa pod husk ash, Palm bunch ash and Calcium Carbonate significantly (P><0.05) increased the maize root length. Soil pH, exchangeable calcium, magnesium and percentage base saturation significantly and positively correlated with the plant height while exchangeable acidity aluminum, available iron and manganese significantly and negatively correlated with the plant parameters. The work showed the ameliorating power of the liming materials in the Ultisols of Umudike area of South East Nigeria. Two tonnes per hectare of kitchen residue ash, showed an over all best performance over all the liming materials and rates used therefore it is recommended for the ameliorating of the soil acidity and improvement of the maize production in the area. >