Effect of cocoa pod husk, urea fortified cocoa pod husk and NPK fertilizers on the growth and yield ofSolanum macrocarpon cultivation

Abstract

Field trial was conducted on the effects of cocoa husk, urea fortified cocoa pod husk and NPK fertilizers on the growth and marketable yield of Solanum macrocarpon at Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Ibadan during the dry season of 2009/2010. There were four treatments (Cocoa Pod Husk (CPH), urea fortified CPH at ratio 4:1, NPK 20:10:10 and control), laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). S. macrocarpon seedlings raised in seed trays in the nursery were transplanted to manually prepared beds in the field. (Cocoa Pod Husk (CPH), CPH + Urea at a ratio 4:1, NPK 20:10:10 and control were laid out
in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). S. macrocarpon seedlings raised in seed trays in the nursery were transplanted to manually prepared beds in the field. Watering was done thrice per week and weeds controlled manually. Fertilizers were applied at the rate of 80KgN/ha. Data were collected on, plant height; numbers of leaves per plant and marketable yield (the vegetative part of the plant). The results indicated that there was no significant difference in plant height between the fertilizer-based treatments and control. All the fertilizer-based treatments significantly enhanced number of leaves and total marketable yield of S. macrocarpon than control. The highest cumulative marketable yield (39.8ton/ha) from CPH + Urea was not significantly different from 39.7 and 37.2 ton/ha obtained from NPK and CPH fertilizer- based treatments
respectively. The use of CPH as organic fertilizer in the cultivation of S. macrocapon in cocoa growing areas could be seen as a way of converting waste to wealth in crop production.