PAPER TITLE :EFFECT OF FERTIGATION ON SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES, GROWTH AND NUTRIENTS CONTENT OF BASELLA ALBA

APPLIED TROPICAL AGRICULTURE | VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2 2018

Paper Details

  • Author(s) : *1Ayeni, L. S. *Adeleye A. A. and **Oyebanji, K. J.
  • Abstract:

African countries that are naturally agriculture endowed but with low crop yield as a result of soil nutrients
depletion and dry spells which does not encourage all year round crop production can only be transformed through
fertigation. Fertigation combines application of water and fertilizer for crop production especially in the dry
season. Hence, two field experiments were concurrently carried out at farmer's field in 2015 in Ondo, Southwestern
Nigeria to compare the effect of fertigation on soil chemical properties, growth and nutrients content of Basella
alba. 5 and 10 t/ha of poultry manure (PM), 22ml of foliar fertilizer (MF), 5 and 10t/ha PM combined with 11ml
foliar fertilizer (2MF) and no fertilizer treatments were individually mixed with 6,000L of water/ha. The treatments
were arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design and replicated three times. Compared with control, all the
treatments significantly increased (p < 0.05) number of leaves and plant height of Basella alba. Poultry manure
(PM) singly applied at 10 t/ha and PM and MF combined significantly (p < 0.05) recorded highest increase in crude
protein, crude fibre, fat and moisture content of Basella alba as well as soil OC, total N available Ca, K, Mg, Cu and
Zn.
Keywords: Maxiforce, soil nutrients, growth parameters, Basella alba