Abstract

Assessment of time of planting and fertilizer application models on Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) performance was studied at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Agriculture Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. The experiment was made of ten (10) fertilizer models and two (2) planting dates. The study was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. Soil properties were determined prior to experimentation. Seed yield and panicle length were taken at harvest. The result indicates that early planting gave significantly (< 0.05) higher leaf area, plant height and grain yield than the late planted opportunity. Application of 60:30:30 kg NPK/ha alone gave higher seed yield of 1516.5 and 1250.0 kg/ha in 2008 and 2009, respectively than other treatments. The yield obtained however, was not statistically different from application of 40:20:20 kg NPK/ha + 3 t/ha of PM. Early planting of millet and application of 60:30:30 kg/ha or 40:20:20 kg NPK/ha + 3 t/ha of PM is hereby recommended for millet production in Makurdi, Nigeria.

Key words: Pearl millet, yield, organic manure, inorganic fertilizer, panicle length.