Abstract:
Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana (L.)Gaertn) is a native plant to Africa belongs to family Poaceae
and is a popular crop in tropics because of its high nutritional value. Finger millet is a
continuously grown crop in low country dry zone in Sri Lanka, without using fertilizers. The
regular depletion of nutrition status of land and the degradation of soil properties due to
continuous cultivation in same lands without using fertilizers have resulted decreasing the
productivity of finger millet. This study was carried out to determine the effects of compost on
finger millet yield under the rain-fed condition during the 2015/16 and 2016/17 Maha seasons
at the Grain Legume and Oil crops Research and Development Center of the Department of
Agriculture. Different compost levels (0MT/ha, 1MT/ha, 2MT/ha, 3MT/ha, 4MT/ha, 5MT/ha and
6MT/ha) were tested as treatments in a Randomized Complete Block Design with 4 replicates
and a treatment of without application of compost was used as the control. The levels of N, P and
K levels of the compost which used in the experiment were 0.93, 0.34 and 0.6, respectively. The
plot size was 9 m2. Particular amounts of compost applied to the soil as treatments before seed
sowing in both seasons. Along with compost used inorganic fertilizers (only half of basal
application mixture with Urea, Triple super phosphate and Muriate of Potash 25kg each) for
finger millet recommended by Department of Agriculture, Sri Lanka (DOA). All other practices
were done as recommended by DOA. At the end of the 1st season of the research unable to see
considerable enhancement of growth performances as a result of application of compost but at
the end of 2nd season results showed clear enhancement of the number of productive tillers,
plant height and grain yield of finger millet. The results revealed that the effect of compost
application on yield cannot be seen in one season, continuous application of compost leads to
obtain higher yield in finger millet cultivation.
