Effect of Transplanting Age and Poultry Manure on Growth and Yield of Vegetable Amaranth

Author Barau B
Co-Author Olufajo, O.O, Umar F.G, S.S. Jibia, kaka A.A, Wakili, A, A.S.Buba, Ibrahim, A.A
DOI

Country : Nigeria
Subject : Agricultural Technology

Keywords : Amaranth, Poultry Manure, Transplanting age, Factorial combination

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the 2014 cropping season at the Institute for Agricultural Research farm, Samaru, (110, 11’ N, 070 38’E and 686 above sea level) in the northern Guinea savanna ecological zone of Nigeria to study the effect of poultry manure and seedling age at transplanting on growth and yield of vegetable amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus L.). The treatments consisted of factorial combinations of four levels of poultry manure (0, 4, 8 and 12 t ha-1) and three transplant ages (2, 3 and 4 weeks after sowing). The experimental design was randomized complete block replicated three times. Growth characters such as plant height, shoot fresh weight and number of leaves and branches per plant were significantly (P=0.05) higher with the application of 8 t ha-1 of poultry manure compared with no–manure control. However, in most cases, the difference in growth characters using poultry manure rates varying from 4 to 12 t ha-1 were not significant. Seedlings transplanted at 4 weeks of age were. Significant taller with shoot fresh weight than 2-weeks old seedlings at the initial growth stage. Transplant age had no effect on these parameters at later stage. All the other growth parameters were not affected by transplant age. Marketable yield increased significantly with increasing poultry manure rate up to 4 t ha-1 only.

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