Abstract
Impact of newly introduced liquid fertilizers on growth and development on oil palm seedlings was investigated at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research Main Nursery, Benin City for two cropping seasons 2013 and 2014 respectively. The fertilizers investigated are Operon 22:0:0, Advantage 20:20:10, Boost Xtra 20:20:20 and conventional fertilizer NPKMg 12:12:17:2. The trial consists of 9 treatments laid down in Randomized Complete Blocks Design (RCBD) in three replicates at zero application (control), 28 g, and 56g per seedling respectively. Treatments were applied at 3, 5 and 8 months after planting and data were collected on seedling height, girth, number of frond production, dry matter yield and percentage of transplantable seedlings at 3, 6 and 12 months after planting. Data collected were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and their mean compared with Turkey’s Honest Significance Difference (THSD) at 5% level of probability. At 3 and 6 months after planting, seedlings treatments had no significant effects on palm height, girth and number of frond production. However, at 9 and 12 months after planting, applied treatments had significant effects on palm height, girth, dry matter yield and the number of transplantable seedlings. The highest palm height (138.5 cm), girth (23.5cm), number of frond production (12), transplantable percentage (97.7%) and dry matter yield (198.5.7 g) were obtained in seedlings that received application of 28 g NPKMg 12:12:17:2, while the least palm height (75.5 cm), number of frond production (11), transplantable percentage (68%) and dry matter yield (105.8 g) was obtained from the control. The performance of seedlings that received fertilizers were all significantly different from the control, this is an indication that the liquid fertilizers Operon 22:0:0, Advantage 20:20:10 and Boost Xtra 20:20:20 could be used as an alternate fertilizer for raising oil palm seedlings when the conventional NPKMg is not readily available.
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