Vegetative Growth Performance of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) Seedlings in Response to Inorganic and organic fertilizers

Abstract

In this study, the effect of agricultural waste on growth of oil palm seedlings was conducted at the NIFOR main nursery, Benin City, Nigeria using three agricultural wastes (EFB(empty fruit bunches) ash, poultry manure and cow dung). The experiment consists of four treatments namely; EFB ash, poultry manure, cow dung and NPK Mg 12-12-17-2 each applied at the rate of 3.36g N/seedling and a control without treatment. The Experiment was laid down as Randomized Complete Block Design replicated three times. The physico-chemical properties of the nursery soil was analyzed prior to the trial and the result showed mean amount of 0.20% C, 6.55 mg/kg P, 0.17% N, 2.64cmol/kg CEC. The soil was slightly acidic with pH 5.60. Palm circumference (girth) was highest in plot treated with NPK Mg while plant height was highest in plots treated with cow dung and EFB ash; leaf area, leaf number and chlorophyll contents were highest in EFB ash while nitrogen content was highest in palm treated with NPK Mg. Statistical analysis showed significant difference in height and girth of seedlings. Performance of oil palm seedlings on soil amended with agricultural wastes which is cheaper and easily available is comparable to oil palm seedlings grown on soil amended with inorganic fertilizer.