The comparative assessment of different fertilizer application on the growth and development of Solanum aethiopicum (Linn)
Keywords:
cow dung, poultry excreta, N: P: K, growth, development, Solanum aethiopicum, plant height, leaf area, stem girthAbstract
A study on the comparative effects of different fertilizers on the growth and development of Solanum aethiopicum was carried out at the teaching and research farm of Ebonyi state university, presco campus. Randomized Complete Block Design was used for the study. The soil samples were treated with N:P:K 15:15:15, poultry excreta, cow dung and no fertilizer (control), the seeds were sown by spraying. Growth parameter such as plant height, leaf area and plant girth were monitored and data collected for 8 weeks. The study revealed that in week one, NPK gave the highest plant height, leaf area and stem girth 23.61±347, 26.86±3.18 and 2.27±0.18 respectively while the control samples had the least all parameters tested. In week two, there was a slight increase in the parameter tested for all treatments but week three and four gave a significant increase, with NPK giving a plant height of 42.05±3.66 (week 3) and 52.61±4.07 (week 4), leaf area 31.78±5.81 (week 3) and 32.63±8.18 (week 4), and stem girth 2.24±0.22 (week 3) and 2.24±0.33 (week 4). Week five showed a slight difference from the values obtained in week four in all treatments. For week six, NPK gave the highest plant height 69.96±5.59; the control gave the highest leaf area 32.42±23.26 while the stem girth had almost the same value for all treatments. The control gave a value of 50.47±7.52 for plant height in week 7 but dropped to 48.60±13.52 in week eight. The leaf area and stem girth showed very slight difference in week 7 and 8. This study revealed that Solanum aethiopicum growth parameters, such as plant height, leaf area and plant girth obtained from NPK fertilizer was also significantly higher than that of cow dung, poultry excreta and control values. Thus NPK 15:15:15 should be used in the cultivation of Solanum aethiopicum for fast growth and development.
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