Crop Residues Boost Soil Fertility, Increase Maize Yields for Smallholder Farmers
In a farm experiment, using tree pods, corn stalks, and fertilizer on maize showed positive results. Treating the soil with these materials increased its nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, and Calcium. Adding NPK fertilizer along with tree pods gave the best boost in crop yield compared to other methods tested. The combo of NPK and tree pods increased maize yield the most, followed by using just NPK fertilizer. Corn stalks alone also improved yield but not as much as tree pods. This research suggests that combining NPK fertilizer with tree pods can help farms produce more maize in a sustainable way.