Lime and organic manure effect on acid]clay soil, Okra growth and yield parameters

Abstract

Two potted experiments were conducted at the screen]house of the Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management of the Federal University of Technology, Akure to investigate the effects of lime and different levels of organicmanure amendment on acid]clay soil, Okra growth and yield parameters.The first experiment consisted of six treatments and a control; choppedTithonia diversifolia leaves were applied on limed soil (100g lime kg]1 Soil) at0g, 6.75g, 13.5g, 20.25g, 27.0g and 33.75g kg]1 Soil. The second experimentalso consisted of six treatments and a control; poultry manure was appliedon limed soil (100g lime kg]1 Soil) at 0g, 6.75g, 13.5g, 20.25g, 27.0g and33.75g kg]1 Soil. They were arranged in Complete Randomized Design. Soilsamples were collected at the 2nd, 4th, and 6th, week after planting and subjected to chemical analysis. Okra growth and yield data were collected and statistical analyses carried out using the SPSS Package and means compared with Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at 5% level of probability. The result of the study showed that soil pH, OC, OM, N, P, K, Ca, Na, Mg and CEC increased with lime application and with increases in rate of Tithonia leaves or poultry manure application. There were no significant differences in most of the soil parameters considered in Tithonia and poultry manure applied at 27.0g and 33.75 g kg ]1 soil. Growth parameters showed no significant differences for the two experiments except with regards to number of leaves in Tithonia application. Application of 33.75g Tithonia kg]1 gave the highest Okra pod weight for Tithonia treated soil while the application of 27g poultry manure kg]1 gave highest Okra weight for poultry manure treated soil.