Abstract
Farmers in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria only practice rainfed agriculture, partly because of the misconception that the area has abundant rainfall even though the region has distinct wet and dry seasons. This, coupled with the low soil fertility always results in crops being produced at the subsistence level. This experiment was therefore conducted during the dry season to investigate the growth response of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook. F) to different combinations of poultry manure and depths of irrigation in a loamy sand soil. It was a randomized complete block design experiment involving three levels each of poultry manure and irrigation with three replications. The treatments comprised random combinations of 10, 20 and 30 t/ha poultry manure with 3, 4 and 5 mm depths of irrigation, including control treatment that had neither manure nor irrigation. Results indicated that the application of poultry manure and irrigation produced significantly higher values of all the growth parameters than the control. Although the combination of 30 t/ha manure and 4 mm depth of irrigation produced the maximum leaf area, the best result in terms of vine length, number of leaves, vine fresh weight and total shoot yield was obtained by combining 30 t/ha manure with 3 mm irrigation depth. This study therefore recommends the application of 30 t/ha poultry manure and 3 mm depth of irrigation for the cultivation of fluted pumpkin during the dry season in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
Highlights
The Niger Delta region of Nigeria accounts for 100% of the crude oil production in the country
The result is that the youths, whose energy would have been channeled to the once-viable agricultural sector, are engaged in anti-government activities, sometimes with extreme violence, demanding for a more equitable distribution of the oil wealth
One other factor militating against effective and sustainable crop production in the Niger Delta region is the total dependence on rainfed agriculture, as there is no culture of irrigation
Summary
The Niger Delta region of Nigeria accounts for 100% of the crude oil production in the country. Increasing population pressure, coupled with other socio-economic activities has drastically reduced the land available for cultivation This has made shifting cultivation impracticable and reduced the length of traditional bush fallowing for maintaining soil fertility. One other factor militating against effective and sustainable crop production in the Niger Delta region is the total dependence on rainfed agriculture, as there is no culture of irrigation. This region is characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons and, so, farmers produce crops at the subsistence level only during the wet season. This study seeks to determine the combination of poultry manure and irrigation depth most suitable for the cultivation of fluted pumpkin during the dry season
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