Effect of Graded Levels of Urea Fertilizer on Growth and Herbage Yield of Hydroponic Cultivated Maize (sammaz 52) in Sokoto State, Nigeria

This research project investigated the effects of graded levels of urea fertilizer on the growth and herbage yield of hydroponically grown maize (Zea mays), Sammaz 52 variety. The research was conducted in the Laboratory & Green house of the Animal Science Department at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria, the experiment utilized a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) involving four treatments: a control (0% urea) and three varying concentrations of urea (0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%), each replicated three times. Growth parameters measured are plant height, leaf length, leaf width, leaf number, percentage cover, fresh herbage yield, and dry herbage yield. The results indicated that the control treatment outperformed all urea-treated groups across all measured parameters. Specifically, plant height decreased significantly from 7.27 cm in the control to 2.60 cm at the highest urea concentration (1.5%). Similarly, leaf length, leaf width, and leaf number exhibited significant declines with increasing urea levels, reflecting a negative impact on overall plant health. Fresh herbage yield was highest in the control treatment at 30,649 kg/ha, while yields drastically reduced with higher urea concentrations, dropping to 1,153 kg/ha at 1.5% urea. Dry herbage yield followed a similar trend, emphasizing the detrimental effects of excess nitrogen on maize fodder production. The study shows that hydroponically grown maize fodder performs best in the absence of urea, & that high urea levels lead to ammonia toxicity & poor water uptake.