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The research study was conducted at the experimental farm of University for Development Studies, Nyankpala-Tamale in northern region, Ghana during the 2021 growing season to evaluate the effect of inorganic NPK fertilizer, Neem cake and neem oil as soil amendments on maize P uptake and grain yield. A 3 × 3 × 2 factorial experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The treatments consisted of combinations of three levels of neem cake (0, 200 and 400 kg ha-1), three levels of neem oil (0, 10 and 20 L ha-1) and two levels of NPK (0 and 250 kg ha-1). Parameters examined were plant height, crop growth rate, chlorophil content (using spad), leaf area index (LAI), K uptake and grain yield. The study revealed plant height, uptake of K, grain yield and biological yield of maize increased with increased rate of neem cake (200 to 400 kg ha-1) when combined with 250 kg NPK/ha. Plant height, growth rate, uptake and uptake efficiency of K and grain yield of the crop decreased with increased rate of neem oil from 10 l/ha to 20 l/ha, when combined with 250 kg NPK/ha. The results showed combining 250 kg NPK/ha with 400 kg/ha neem cake increased K uptake by 34% (from 99 kg/ha to 133 kg/ha) compared to the recommended NPK rate. Application of 250 kg NPK/ha plus 400 kg/ha neem cake gave grain yield of 7637 kg/ha representing 61% increment over the application of only the inorganic fertilizer (4736 kg/ha), .and biological yield of 26873 kg/ha as maximum entries. The results of the study posited important implications for soil health management for enhanced maize production.

A Field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different planting dates on the yield and yield components of maize and groundnut in an intercropping system. The experiment was laid in a Randomized complete block design with four replications. The Experimental treatments were: Sole maize; Sole groundnut; Maize, one row groundnut, 0 WAP maize; Maize, one row groundnut, 1 WAP maize; and Maize, one row groundnut, 2 WAP maize. Data collected during the experiment were: Plant height, growth rate, Chlorophyll content, leaf area index, Days to 50% tasseling (maize), Days to silking (maize), Days to 50% flowering (groundnut), Plant height, Pod number (groundnut), Maize grain yield, total Stover biomass yield, total haulm biomass yield and harvest Index. Dry matter yield was significantly different (P<0.05) among treatments at all the stages of growth in both groundnut and maize. Grain yield showed significant differences (P<0.05) among all treatments except for the one row of groundnut intercropped two weeks after sowing maize and the sole maize. The study showed that where groundnut is considered the major crop then the one row of groundnut sown at the same time with the maize should be adopted. Also, were maize is the interest crop, then the one row of maize with two rows of groundnut at 2WAP maize would be ideal. Finally, where the farmer wants to maximize the use of the land for both crops equally, then the one row of groundnut intercropped at the same time with maize is the best system.