Abstract
Sustainable cacao cultivation in Ghana has been seriously hampered by high seedling mortality due to the low soil fertility of lands used for the establishment of new cacao farms. Alleviating the low soil fertility to enhance sustainable cacao cultivation requires the use of fertilizers. A study was therefore conducted at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana to determine the effect of integrated application of poultry manure (PM) and sulphate of ammonia (SOA) fertilizers on survival, growth, and nutrient uptake by cacao seedlings under marginal field conditions. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used to evaluate the effects of six treatments. Traits assessed were percentage survival, height, trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA), and nutrient uptake. Results from the study showed no significant differences in soil N and K among the treatments. PM-amended plots had significantly higher soil P than nonamended control and SOA alone. Seedling survival rate ranged from 73.3 to 89.3% with a higher proportion of surviving plants in PM amended soils. The application of PM alone and its combination with SOA improved growth. Cacao trees of T4 (75% recommended dosage of SOA + PM) had the largest TCSA increment, which was significantly different from the other soil treatments. Leaf nutrient concentrations in cacao of T4 were higher than the other soil treatments. It was therefore concluded that T4 could be used during cacao establishment in marginal areas for improved plant survival and growth.
Highlights
Cacao is an important cash crop that provides enormous foreign exchange about US$2.5 billion per annum for Ghana and remains the mainstay of the national economy [1]
The extent to which organic fertilizers like poultry manure (PM) could increase the efficiency of applied inorganic fertilizers like sulphate of ammonia (SOA) to increase the absorption of nutrients and sustainable growth in young cacao plants has not received research attention in Ghana. To evaluate this on sustainable cacao growth, integrated use of PM and SOA fertilizers for cacao cultivation was investigated in a field experiment with young cacao trees on a marginal soil. e research emphasis was to determine the effect of integrated application of PM and SOA fertilizers on plant survival, growth, and nutrient uptake under marginal soil conditions in the early stages of establishment
New cacao farms in Ghana are established on lands that have been previously cropped with food crops or moribund cacao and grubbed without fallowing
Summary
Cacao ( eobroma cacao L.) is an important cash crop that provides enormous foreign exchange about US$2.5 billion per annum for Ghana and remains the mainstay of the national economy [1]. An integrated application of organic and inorganic fertilizers appears to be a suitable technique to meet nutrient requirements of cacao cultivated in marginal soils for improved and sustainable growth. The extent to which organic fertilizers like PM could increase the efficiency of applied inorganic fertilizers like SOA to increase the absorption of nutrients and sustainable growth in young cacao plants has not received research attention in Ghana. To evaluate this on sustainable cacao growth, integrated use of PM and SOA fertilizers for cacao cultivation was investigated in a field experiment with young cacao trees on a marginal soil. To evaluate this on sustainable cacao growth, integrated use of PM and SOA fertilizers for cacao cultivation was investigated in a field experiment with young cacao trees on a marginal soil. e research emphasis was to determine the effect of integrated application of PM and SOA fertilizers on plant survival, growth, and nutrient uptake under marginal soil conditions in the early stages of establishment
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