Advancement of Vegetative Growth of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) as it Responds to Different Organic Manure and Rates in Awka, South East of Nigeria.
Abstract
An experiment to determine the effects of different organic manure types and rates on the vegetative growth of okra was conducted in bags at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Crop Science and Horticulture, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State. A factorial experiment consisting of two different organic manure types (at five different levels with 0t/ha as control treatment. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design. Data were collected on number of days to emergence, number of days to 50% emergence, number of leaves and branches, stem girth, plant height, whole body weight, shoot fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight. All data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and significant differences among treatment means were separated using the least significant difference (LSD) at a 5% level of significance. Pig manure significantly (P<0.05) gave the best performance in number of leaves, number of branches, plant height, whole body weight, shoot fresh and dry weight and root fresh and dry weight. Manure rate 15t/ha of pig significantly at P<0.05 produced the highest number of leaves at 6weeks after planting with mean value of 10.58 and had almost the same value with 20tons/ha on branches in the same 6weeks after planting with the mean value of 10.92 and 10.95 respectively. Pig manure at 20t/ha was significantly higher for the whole-body weight (58.7g), shoot fresh weight (48.0g) and shoot dry weight (37.6). Poultry manure applied at 20t/ha rate showed significantly higher performance than the other poultry manure rates in days to 50% emergence, number of branches, stem girth, whole body weight and shoot and root weight parameters. Pig manure at the rate of 15t/ha had the most positive effect on the vegetative growth of okra which gave the highest number of leaves and branches and high plant height and stem girth which aided photosynthesis.