Soil Application of Cow Dung with Foliar Application of Boost Extra, Effect on Growth and Yield of Okra in an Ultisol, Nigeria

Abstract

Experiments were carried out at the student’s experimental field, Kabba College of Agriculture, Horticulture section to examine the effect of soil application of cow dung combined with foliar application of boost extra on growth and yield of okra in an ultisol, Nigeria. The land was ploughed each year and harrowed with the aid of tractor mounted implements. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The treatments consisted of A = 3t/ha cow dung, B = 1.0 L/ha foliar + 2.5t/ha cow dung, C =1.5L/ha foliar + 2t/ha cow dung, D    = 2 L/ha foliar      + 1.5 t/ha cow dung, E = 2.5L/ha foliar + 1.0t/ha cow dung, F = 3t/ha foliar. Each year experiment was conducted using a single field having dimension of 35 by 14m which was laid out into three blocks with 1m guard row between blocks. Each block consists of six plots (5 by 4m) and 1m guard row between plots. Cow dung manure was applied a week before planting. Okra variety Lady’s finger was used. Three seeds per hole were planted on April 4^th in both years on the flat with a spacing of 60cm x 25cm between and within the rows and later thinned to one plant per stand. Data taken included plant height at 50 % flowering, number of branches per plant, leaf area, pod length, pod diameter, number of pods per plant; and pod weight and yield (t/ha). The data were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) while the Least Significant Difference (LSD) was used to separate treatment means. The result shows that plot treated with 2.0L/ha foliar + 1.5 t/ha cow dung had the best performance in yield and yield components in this study. It is therefore recommended that okra farmers should integrated foliar fertilizer (boost extra) at the rate of 2L per hectare with cow dung at rate of 1.5t per hectare be used for okra production in the study area.