PERFORMANCE OF CELOSIA (Celosia argentea) AS AFFECTED BY PROPORTIONATE INCLUSIONS OF TITHONIA COMPOST AND GRANULATED NPK 15-15- 15 FERTILIZER IN OGBOMOSO, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Imbalance soil nutrition / low soil fertility is a major hindrance to attainment of sustainable crop production under tropical soil conditions, where top soil is mostly missing. However, both the organic and inorganic fertilizer materials commonly used to correct the nutrients imbalance and boost soil nutrition had been reported to be ill-famed for certain notable demerits, which may make any one of them imperfect when solely applied. Hence, the need for more researches into careful integration of two or more fertilizer materials in suitable proportions that will reasonably supply adequate nutrients for optimum performance of a common and versatile vegetable like Celosia argentea in the study area. Field experiment was conducted during the crop season in the year 2022, at the Teaching and Research Farms, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria, to evaluate Celosia argentea under different proportionate integrations of tithonia compost and NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer, at recommended rates of 6 tons ha-1 and 300 kg NPK ha-1 respectively. The treatments investigated were: T0 = the control, which received none of the fertilizers, T1 = 100% NPK (@300kgNPKha-1), T2 = 100% Tithonia compost (@6tonsha-1), T3 = 75% NPK + 25% Tithonia compost, T4 = 50% NPK + 50% Tithonia compost, and T5 = 25% NPK + 75% Tithonia compost. The trial was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), replicated thrice. Data collected were on growth and yield parameters, which were analyzed usingANOVAat p < 0.05. Celosia argentea responded well to improved soil nutrition via fertilizer application at varying levels of inclusion of both tithonia compost and NPK fertilizer, as enhanced growth and yield parameters were observed in plants which received any of the fertilizer treatments tested, comparable to the control which received no fertilizer application, in the study area. Tithonia compost is a dependable potential fertilizer material, as its applications (irrespective of the levels of inclusion with the NPK), significantly improved all the growth and yield parameters as well as the nutrient uptakes of Celosia argentea. Application of 100% tithonia compost effectively and successfully competed with application of NPK fertilizer at 100% recommended rate. Therefore, any of the tithonia compost inclusions ranging from 50% to 100% (depending on the availability) is therefore suggested to be applied to soils by local farmers. This will definitely reduce or completely eradicate chemical loads on soils, which will eventually favour improvement of soil quality, soil productivity, as well as production of hygienically saved farm produce in the study area.