The Efficacy of Human Urine as Top Dressing Fertilizer on a Medium Season Maturity White Maize (Zea Mays) Variety SC 637 · Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Author: Marichama, Vincent
Title: The Efficacy of Human Urine as Top Dressing Fertilizer on a Medium Season Maturity White Maize (Zea Mays) Variety SC 637
Abstract: The efficacy of using human urine fertilizer as top dressing on a medium season maturity white maize
variety SC637. The research was carried out at Alheiht High School in Masvingo Province Gutu in
Zimbabwe in agro-ecological region V. The research comprised of three treatments which were human
urine, synthetic urea fertilizer the positive control and the negative control that had no top dressing
fertilizer. The experimental blocks were replicated four times according to each treatment respectively.
Urine was applied using spit application method, 0.5liters per plant of urine was applied 14 days after
emergence then another 0.5liters per plant was applied 35 days after emergence. Urea fertilizer was
applied under spit application also, 0.5g per plant was applied 14 days after emergence, and then 0.5g
per plant was applied 35 days after emergence. Compound D was applied in all experiments as basal
fertilizer planting at rate of 5 grams per plant to all the plants. The following parameters were measured;
dry biomass, stem height and yield of a medium maturity white maize variety. Maize growth rate was
measured after every two weeks and the yield and dry biomass was weighed at the end and the results
were recorded and analyzed. The results showed that urine had a significant effect on growth rate
(P<0.05), dry biomass (P<0.05) and yield (P<0.05). The findings concluded that Human urine is a rich
source of nitrogen and it can be recommended to farmers to use it as a top dressing fertilizer in maize
just like any other synthetic nitrogen fertilizers like urea and ammonium nitrate, taking into account
appropriate application rates based on the nitrogen content of the urine.
Date: 2023
Publisher: BUSE
Keywords: Human Urine
Supervisor: Miss Kamota

Item sets: Department of Crop Sciences

Media: Marichama - Crop.pdf