Basic HTML Version
International Journal of Horticulture 2014, Vol.4, No.12, 58
-
63
http://ijh.biopublisher.ca
59
crops but its use is hampered by its inaccessibility to
majority of the farmers due to high cost and
infrastructural problems in developing country like
Nigeria (Webber et al., 1999). Other problems include
most inorganic fertilizer does not replace trace
nutrients in the soil which become gradually depleted
by crop (Lawrence, 2004). Its application on highly
weathered soil leads to pollution of ground water after
harvest, it does not improved soil structure (Gordon et
al., 1993), decline in organic matter content, nutrient
imbalance, soil acidification (Ojeniyi, 2000). Organic
manures can be used as an alternative for the
inorganic fertilizers. The need to use renewable forms
of energy and reduce costs of fertilizing crops has
revived the use of organic fertilizers worldwide.
Improvement of environmental conditions and public
health are important reasons for advocating increased
use of organic materials (Seifritz, 1982; Ojeniyi, 2000;
Maritus and Vlelc, 2001). Consumers have an
increasing interest in organic products because they
are thought to be environmentally sound or of high
quality. Organic manure application sustains
cropping system through better nutrient recycling
and improvement of the soil physical attributes
(El-Shakweer et al., 1998).
In recent years in Ikorodu area of Lagos state, Nigeria
many poultry farms have been established while
abandoned ones are resuscitated due to the prohibition
on importation of poultry products into the country
and there has been the attendant problem of disposal
of the waste from these farms. This waste which is
poultry manure can be a source of organic fertilizer
for cultivation of vegetable crops such as okra.
In Nigeria, various studies have been conducted on
nutrients requirements of okra with inorganic
fertilizers (Kogbe, 1976; Akin-Taylor, 1996) while
very little have been reported on sole use of organic
manure in comparison with inorganic fertilizer. In
view of these facts, this paper is aimed at investigating
the response of okra to inorganic fertilizer (NPK
15-15-15) and poultry manure for the morphological
performances and yield of okra.
Result and Discussion
Soil and poultry manure analysis
Pre-cropping soil analysis revealed that the soil is
slightly acidic and was within the pH range that is
good for better performance of vegetable crops
production (Pureseglove, 1991) and most nutrients
were below critical level (Adeoye and Agboola, 1985).
Soils below these critical levels are regarded as being
low in these nutrients (Ibude et al., 1988). This
revealed that the soils in the area are largely deficient
in major essential nutrients. This observation
re-affirmed Akanbi et al (2010) who reported that
most of our agricultural soils are improvised due to
intense weathering, leaching and extensive cultivation.
Consequently, optimum growth and yield cannot be
achieved without supplementary nutrients through soil
amendment in form of organic manures and/or
inorganic fertilizer to improve growth and yield of okra.
The result of poultry manure analysis showed that it
was high in some plant nutrients and organic matter.
The high organic matter improves the soil structure
leading to improvement of soil physical conditions.
This was in agreement with FAO (1983) who
highlighted the role of organic matter in sustaining the
fertility of the soil for good production of vegetables
by binding the soil to form good soil structure.
Okra Morphological and Yield Performances
Nutrients supplied in the form of PM and NPK
fertilizer affected okra plant height at 3, 6 and 9 weeks
after sowing (WAS). Okra plant treated with PM
produced tallest plants at 3, 6 WAS and at flowering,
followed by plot improved with NPK and plots with
no manure or fertilizer application produced the
shortest okra plants (Figure 1). Statistically plant
height recorded were not significantly different at 3
WAS, while at 6 WAS and flowering okra plants from
the control plot had significantly shorter plants than
from any of the fertilizer types. The enhanced plant
growth following application of poultry manure has
also been observed by Pavan Yadav et al. (2003) in
okra. The performance of NPK could be attributed to
high leaching rate as a result of heavy downpour
recorded during the experiment.
Figure 1 Influence of soil amendment on okra plant height at 3,
6 and 9 weeks after sowing