Yield and Distribution/Uptake of Nutrients of Dioscorea rotundata Influenced by NPK Fertilizer Application

Two field trials were conducted in 2005 and 2006 at Evboneka to determine the optimum level of NPK requirement for yield and nutrient composition of D. rotundata for the forest ultisol location. Fresh tuber yield, dry matter accumulation, percentage of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content of leaves and tubers at various stages and crude protein content of harvested tubers were evaluated under five levels (0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 kilogramme per hectare (kg ha-1) of NPK fertilizer using randomized complete block design. NPK fertilizer application significantly increased all the tested parameters. The optimum level of NPK for successful production of white guinea yam was 300 (45 kg N + 20.37 kg P + 37.35 kg K) kg ha-1 in a forest ultisol that been under cultivation for at least two years

UTJECAJ RAZLIČITIH ORGANSKIH TVARI I NPK GNOJIVA NA PERFORMANCE KUKURUZA

The interest in organic materials as soil fertility restorer is increasing due to the high cost and unavailability at the right time of inorganic fertilizer and the problem associated with residue disposal by burning which can further aggravate global warming. The effects of different organic materials and NPK fertilizer on the performance of maize were examined in field experiments carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in a forest savanna transition zone of Edo State, Nigeria. The investigations were carried out during the 2008 and 2009 cropping seasons and involved the use of organic materials (wood shavings, rice hulls, kola husks and their combinations) and NPK fertilizer. The layout of the experiment was a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The results indicated that most of the organic materials, especially kola husk and mixtures with kola husk and NPK increased yield and its components. The treatments significantly increased the concentrations of N, P, K and Na in ear leaves and grains.Interes za organskim tvarima koje poboljšavaju plodnost tla povećava se zbog visoke cijene i pravovremene nedostupnosti anorganskoga gnojiva, a taj je problem povezan sa zbrinjavanjem ostataka koji se spaljuju, što može dodatno pogoršati globalno zagrijavanje. Utjecaj raznih organskih tvari i NPK gnojiva na performanse kukuruza ispitan je u poljskim pokusima provedenim na farmi za istraživanje Sveučilišta Ambroze Alli, Ekpoma u području prelaska šume u savanu u državi Edo, Nigerija. Istraživanja su se provodila tijekom vegetacije 2008. i 2009. godine, a obuhvatila su uporabu organskih tvari (drvene strugotine, rižine i koline ljuskice, kao i njihove kombinacije) i NPK gnojiva. Pokus se provodio prema slučajnome potpunome blok rasporedu u tri ponavljanja. Rezultati su ukazali na to da su većina organskih tvari, naročito ljuskice kole i njihove mješavine, kao i NPK gnojivo, povećali prinos njegove komponente. Ti su postupci značajno povećali koncentracije N, P, K i Na u komušini i zrnu

UTJECAJ SJEMENE POGAČE NIMA (Azadirachta indica L.) NA RAST I PRINOS BAMIJE (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench)

Soils of the southern Guinea savannah are generally inherently infertile owing to low vegetation cover, soil erosion and low organic matter content due to constant bush fire. Consequently, farmers move close to streams and rivers in the dry season where okra is cultivated by irrigation. Field experiments were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Ilorin, Ilorin Nigeria during the 2012 and 2013 cropping seasons to evaluate the effects of neem seed cake on the performance of okra. The neem seed cake was incorporated into the soil one week before sowing of the okra seeds at the rate of 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 t/ha. The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design replicated thrice. Data were collected on growth parameters (plant height, number of leaves and number of branches) and yield parameters (fruit length and girth, number of fruits per plant, fruit weight per plant and fruit weight per hectare). The result indicated that applying neem seed cake significantly affected the growth and yield parameters that were evaluated. Applying neem seed cake, however gave the highest yield at 3t/ha. Percentage mean for the two years combined was 75.81% over the control.Tla savane južne Gvineje su općenito neplodna zbog niskog vegetacijskog pokrova, erozije tla i niskog sadržaja organske tvari, izazvanog stalnim požarom grmovitog raslinja. Stoga se u sušnom razdoblju poljoprivrednici sele u blizinu potoka i rijeka zbog navodnjavanja bamije. Terenski pokusi provedeni su na Nastavno-istraživačkoj farmi Sveučilišta u Ilorinu u Nigeriji tijekom sjetve u 2012. i 2013., da bi se procijenio utjecaj sjemene pogače nima na svojstva bamije. Sjemena pogača nima stavila se u zemlju tjedan dana prije sjetve bamijinog sjemena u omjeru 0, 1, 2, 3 i 4 t/ha. Pokus je postavljen prema slučajnom bloknom rasporedu u tri ponavljanja. Podaci su prikupljeni mjerenjem pokazatelja rasta (visina biljke, broj listova i broj grana) i prinosa (dužina ploda i opseg, broj plodova po biljci, težini ploda po biljci i hektaru). Rezultati su pokazali da je primjena sjemene pogače nima značajno utjecala na pokazatelje rasta i prinosa. Međutim, primjena sjemene pogače nima prema omjeru dala je najveći prinos. Prosječno relativno povećanje prinosa, dobiveno primjenom sjemene pogače nima, iznosilo je 75.81%

Performance of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) in response to organic and NPK fertilizers

The soil of North-Central Nigeria is home to many plant products that are used as industrial raw materials, and after processing their waste are often left in drainage channels, which ultimately find their way into rivers and streams where they pollute these water bodies, and sometimes some of these materials are burnt, which further aggravates global warming. In addition, the soil of the region is characterized by low organic matter content because of annual bush burnings, which reduce the low humus content of soils. Watermelon requires a fertile soil, which is high in organic matter content, while infertile soils yield an increased production of male flowers at the expense of female flowers, which results in low fruit set. Therefore, a study was carried out at the University of Ilorin Teaching and Research Farm, Ilorin, North-Central Nigeria, during the rainy seasons of 2013 and 2014 to assess the effect of different organic materials on the growth and yield of watermelon. The factors imposed were a control, NPK fertilizer and five organic materials (neem seed cake (NSC), jatropha seed cake (JSC), poultry manure (PM), compost manure (CM), and cow dung (CD)). The experiment was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) replicated thrice. Data collected on soil physico-chemical properties were: organic matter content, soil pH, organic carbon, total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, bulk density (BD), micro porosity (MIP), macro porosity (MAP), and saturated hydraulic conductivity (KS). Plant parameters evaluated include growth (vine length and number of leaves) and yield (number of fruits per plant, fruit weight per plant, and yield ha−1). Results indicated that the organic matter content increased after the first year’s cropping and declined at the end of the study. The amended plots showed significantly higher values (P < 0.05) with respect to most soil physical properties (MIP), (MAP), and (KS), except the BD, where the values were lower. The bulk density particularly deteriorated on soils that were not organically amended. In addition, the soil chemical properties examined increased following the first year’s cropping, and thereafter declined at the end of the second-year cropping season. The response of watermelon showed that the two years’ yield data ranged between 334 and 402 t/ha, 306 and 390 t/ha, and 38.25 and 59.20 t/ha for NPK, poultry manure, and control treatments respectively. From the results, it was observed that the organic amendments were environmentally more friendly compared to the inorganic amendment (NPK fertilizer) in terms of positive effects on soil structural properties