Open AccessEffect of compost, cow dung and NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer on growth and yield performance of Amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus)
Author(s) -
K. O. Sanni
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
international journal of advances in scientific research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2395-3616
DOI - 10.7439/ijasr.v2i3.3148
Subject(s) - compost , cow dung , amaranth , amaranthus hybridus , fertilizer , agronomy , soil fertility , yield (engineering) , phosphorus , mathematics , amaranthus cruentus , zoology , chemistry , horticulture , biology , soil water , weed , ecology , materials science , organic chemistry , metallurgy
Nigerian soils are generally low in fertility and enhanced crop yield is only possible through external use of organic and inorganic fertilizers. The present study was carried out under field condition at Teaching and Research Farms, Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu to evaluate effects of compost, cow dung and NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer amendments on the growth and yield performances of Amaranthus hybridus. The obtained results indicated that all treatments significantly achieved an increment in morphological parameters (numbers of leaves stem girth, leaf area and plant height) and fresh weight yield comparing with the control. The best results in terms of these characters were obtained in the following order Cow dung > compost > NPK 15-15-15 and control. Post soil analysis shows that all the treatments reduced the soil pH from 6.20 to a range between 5.58-5.68 and available phosphorus, magnesium, organic carbon, total nitrogen and CEC increased significantly compared with control plot. Results suggest that the use of cow dung and composts has potential to improve the growth and yield of amaranth and improves the soil physiochemical properties in the study area.