Soil Properties and Response of Yam to Ash Application at Akure, Nigeria

Two experiments were conducted at the Federal College of Agriculture Akure, Southwest Nigeria to test effectiveness of a crop waste wood ash as source of nutrients for plantain (Musa paradisica) and yam (Dioscorea rotundata). Effect of wood ash at 0, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 kg/plant was studied as to the effect on soil chemical properties and performance of the crops. The test soil was low in organic matter (OM), total N, available P, exchangeable K and Mg. The soil pH, OM, N, P, K, Ca and Mg increased with level of ash. The 0.4 kg/plant ash increased number of leaves of plantain and tuber weight of yam significantly. Tuber weight was increased by 44%.