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Comparative Effects of Animal Manures and Mineral Fertilizer on Agronomic Parameters of Telfairia occidentalis on Luvisol in Lagos Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Telfairia occidentalis is a vegetable rich in nutrients and command market value common among the Igbos of eastern part of Nigeria but has not been widely cultivated in other parts of the country except Lagos. Two pot experiments were concurrently conducted at lagos State University to evaluate the effect of blood meal (BM), poultry dung (PM), cattle dung (CD), pig dung (PD) and NPK15:15:15 fertilizer (NPK) on morphological characteristics of Telfairia occidentalis. Ten kilogram (10 kg) of soil was weighed and poured into forty two buckets. A concentration of 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 g/10 kg soil of each of the treatments to represent 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 t/ha were individually mixed with 10 kg soil. NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer was applied at the rate of 1.25, 2.5, 3.75 and 5 g to represent 100, 200, 300 and 400 kg/ha respectively. The treatments were arranged on completely randomized design and replicated three times. Application of BM, PM, CD, PD and NPK had significant (p<0.05) influence on root, shoot and leaf parameters of Telfairia occidentalis. It is concluded that apart from the soil nutrients requirement, the choice of fertilizer in growing Telfaria occidentalis need to be depended on the part of the plants that is of interest to the farmer.

Okubena-Dipeolu Esther, Olalusi Funmilayo and Ayeni Leye Samuel

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