2025/01/27 by Ben, F. E., Essien, O. A., Enyong, J. F. +1
#Crop yield #Organic fertilizers #Poultry manure #Soil fertility #Sweetpotato growth
paper · doi:10.60787/njhs.v28i3.28-33
A field experiment was conducted in 2021 to evaluate the effect of poultry manure and Super gro organic liquid fertilizer on the growth and yield of sweetpotatoes. Soil analysis before planting revealed a sandy loam texture with a pH of 5.8, moderate organic carbon (1.29%), and total nitrogen (0.06%). The treatments were four fertilizer rates; 5t/ha poultry manure (PM), 10t/ha PM, Supergro, and a control. Results indicated that the 10t/ha PM treatment significantly enhanced leaf number, vine length, and root development compared to other treatments, with notable improvements observed at 10 and 12 weeks. The number of branches and Leaf Area Index (LAI) also increased with higher fertilizer application, though these differences were not statistically significant. The 10t/ha PM treatment yielded the highest biomass and storage root production, although yield differences were not statistically significant. Overall, the application of 10t/ha PM demonstrated the most substantial positive impact on sweetpotato growth and yield, suggesting its potential for improving sweetpotato cultivation in similar soil conditions.