PROJECT TOPIC:

Comparative Effects of Wood Ash and NPK Inorganic Fertilizer as Soil Amendment For Improved Marathon Vegetable.

Chapter one

Amaranthus (amaranthus crucutus L.) belong to the group of amarathaceae. It is a very common edible, herbaccous plant in sub-tropical region of the world. There are several cultivated species of the genus, amaranthus collectively called amaranths.

Some of the individual representatives of this group are: - tanpala, hon-toi-moi, bushgroon, pig weed, and Chinese spinach. These amaranths are used for food regularly in deferent part of the tropics and occasionally in the climate states leaf shape and color vary considerably.

Some are red, others are green, while others maybe variegated, usually with purplish patterns on a green background.

The green form of a gangeticus .L. is most commonly cultivated for used as boiled greens, like most, is an upright branched annual. While some are quite large and broiled leaved (5-6 meters wide) others are much smaller and narrow-leaved. The red-leaved variety probably is A. tricolor L. Amaranthus edulis is a grain amaranth reported to be exceptionally high in lysinea critical amino acid often deficient in plant protein.

Amaranth grows well and rapidly at all altitude in the west indies. It grows vigorously in Florida gardens.

The common species which are particularly important in West Africa includes: amaranthus candatus, amaranthus cruentus, amaranthus hybridus, amaranthus tricolor, amarantus oleracus (tindall 1983) no production figures are available for Nigeria, because most of the produce are consumed locally.

As formally said, it belong to the family amaranthaceae, it is the most popular leafy vegetable of Kerela.

It can be grown throughout the year. Avoid sowing or planting of red leave varieties during period of heavy rain. The leaves are good sources of iron (305 mg/100g) calcium (397mg/100g) vitamin A (8340 microgram/100g) and vitamin C (99mg/100g).

The crop is adapted to a wide range of soil condition. Sandy soil with slight acidity is best suited. A temperature range of 20-30º is required for better vegetative growth. A tricolor, a dubus, a tristis are common leafy vegetables refer as A. hypochondriacus is a grain type. In leafy amaranthus the grain color is black, while in a grain amaranthus the seed color is sandal (3) yellow. The grain amaranthus is a rich source of protein and essential amino acid like lysino, leucine, isoleucine etc.

There is an increasing awareness of the value of leafy vegetables in contributing to a balanced diet, particularly in areas where animal protein is deficient in addition to their iron content , leafy vegetables like amaranthus contribute to the amount of caratone, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) protein, minerals, (particularly calcium) and carbohydrate in the diet (Tindall 1983)

Amaranthus like other leafy vegetables requires high soil fertility state, especially with respect to soil organic matter and availability of nitrogen (N) other nutrient such as P, K, mg etc are essentials for the product of amaranthus

Amaranthus forms a high percentage f the daily intake of the leafy vegetables. The young leaves and tender portion of the stem are boiled in water and added to stew.

The green leaved variety, tampala, which can be obtained from united states seed men, is satisfactory direct broadcast seedling is practiced and the seedling are thinned to 3 inches apart when quite young. The young seedling maybe eating. Amaranthus is killed by cold so plant for warm season growth. The major pest asserved in Florida was caterpillar which can chow leaves rapidly in autumn.

In southern Nigeria, continuous production of amaranthus in the traditional multiple cropping system on a sandy, loamy soil usually result in poor growth, chlorosis and other nutrient deficiency symptom typical of N.P.K. mg, Ca in the crop. The situation is more apparent if organic manure in not applied because of high cost and unavailability of chemical fertilizer to the level of the majority of small holding vegetable grower.

However the current use of some of these organic nutrient sources such as wood ash and NPK inorganic fertilizer is not based on any systematic research finding.

In some parts of Nigeria such as Kwara state wood ash and NPK inorganic fertilizer and applied as soil amendment in the cultivation of amaranthus and other leafy vegetables.

The objective of the study is to evaluate to compare the effects of wood ash and NPK inorganic fertilizer as soil amendment for improved amaranthus vegetable.

Chapter 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

Response of crop to wood ash application

According to Araki (1993) ash derived from burnt vegetable is known to reduced soil acidity increase availability of cationic nutrient and improve the yield of crop such as millet.

In Ghanaash of cocoa pod husk was successfully tried as fertilizer for maize (Adu dapuah etial 1994). In part of Nigeria wood ash is sprayed on vegetable crops by farmers. Ash is used by African farmers as fertilizer. Wood ash contain varying amount of N.P.K. Ca, mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Cu, B, and Zn.

Ash is also useful as a liming material. In Mundi country of southern Sudan, the highly valued ash obtained from burning trees and bush temporarily raises the soil alkalinity making phosphate and potassium more available to the crop (Sharland 1997).

The increasing population in most developing countries, especially those located in the tropics, reduction or elimination of bush fallow and the attendant rapid loss of soil fertility and productivity, high cost and scarcity of chemical fertilizer.

Soil physical degradation, acidity and nutrient imbalance and other problems associated with the use of chemical fertilizer necessitated search for locally acceptable, technically feasible, cheap, economically viable, environmentally sound and culturally, adoptable means of soil fertility maintenance.

Hence there is need to conduct research into alternators methods of sustaining soil fertility productivity and supply plant nutrients fro crops in plant of tropics and especially Africa.

In Zambia, it was found that burning of sebbania wood and the incorporating of the ash into the soil increased grain yield of maize markedly (ICRAF 1996). According to Kellogg (1975)

Wood ashes served for furnish especially K and Ca with small amount of other plant nutrient and many farmers used it for fertilizing coconut plants.

Kuxier and summer (1996) also found that application of coal ash to maize seedling in the green house increased soil and maize tissue.

Folorunso (1999) in the field experiment carried out in the south west Nigeria, found positive responses of yield and nutrient content of amaranthus and okra to application of wood ash treatment. In another study, Ojeniyi et al (1999) found that application of 2, 4, 6 and St/la wood ash treatments okra pod count and weight, soil organic matter, NPK ca and Mg content leaf.

Another investigation was carried out (Oladejo and Ojeniyi, 1998) to investigate the effectiveness of wood ash fertilizer on maize grown under a humid tropical condition.

Studies carried out at Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria showed the burnt cocoa pod husk compared favorably with NPK fertilizer in maize performance (Omoti et al 1991). In Ghana, Adu-Dapaah et al (1994) found that shoot and root dry matter of maize increased with increasing application of ash of cocoa pod husk. In most oil palm plantation with mills, the empty bunch wastes are often incinerated into ash and the ash is used as fertilizer for oil palm trees.

Tropics (KRISAT) in Niger found that wood ash was very affective substitute for gypsum as a source of Ca and that its use increased yield and quality of groundnut.

Nigeria at household levels, the house of poultry dropping, cow dung, wood ash and composite residue for improving soil fertility has been adapted (Ogbalu 1999).

The literature review indicate obviously scarce research information on response of amaranthus to application of wood ash, hence the work attempt to investigate the response of nutrient composition and yield component of amaranthus to wood ash.

Wood ash derived from plant residues is a source of plant nutrient (Ojeniyi, 1998) which can be used alone or in combination with N-rich chemical fertilizer or organic manure such as that of goat and poultry. However, the role of wood ash as a fertilizer is yet to receive research attention whereas it is traditionally used for soil fertility maintenance in Idia and Africa (Okigbo 1989).

The move of the southern Sudanrecognized that accommodation of wood ash provide valuable sites for cultivating ecologically specialized plants. Soil in the area is slightly acidic, so K can become a limiting factor. With no synthetic fertilizer available, wood ash has a clear and significant effect on the growth and yield of many crops. In Mundri Country, ash obtained from burning trees and bushes is recognized as a way of improving soil fertility and is an important reason for using fire to clear land. Although during burning most of the N are lost to the atmosphere, P and K and other nutrient are released from plant materials and enter the soil in a readily available form.

When clearing new land for cultivation, the Moru makes extensive use of burning and the ash is highly valued. Wood ash temporarily raises soil alkalinity making K & P more available to the crops (Sharland 1997).

Effect of NPK inorganic fertilizer on crop

Chemical fertilizer play a major role in supplementing the soil ability to provide both macro micro nutrient fro crops.

Inorganic fertilizer has over the year been the mani source of nutrient addition to the soil. They are needed to supply sufficient amount of nutrient to crop. Most inorganic fertilizers dissolved readily in water, thereby making them available to plant for uptake (Braddy & Neel, 19990.

The long term effect of chemical fertilizer on soil is caused by transformation that occur in the soil. The addition of NH3 to soil produces immediate alkaline effect owning to hydrolysis, however, subsequently nitrification produce a long term acidic effect (Kang and Juo, 1980).

In general, P and K carrier in fertilizer do not significant affect soil properties. The concern in agriculture center on the N, fertilizer, became the most popular N, materials are NH3, NH4, NO3 and urea which are all acid-forming. Kang and Juo( 1980) reported that the negative effect of a plot that received 675kg on N from ammonium sulphure over 5 years is due to the small buffering capacity of the soil, and high N level.

They also stated that, the development of a pH value of 4 produce Mn toxicity and Mg deficiency.

Four researches were conducted to determine the response of grain amaranthus to applied N, P and K and to determine the effect of cultivar and fertilizer N on Nitrogen use efficiently, two field experiments were conducted for the research.

In the first five rate of N P and K were applied in a central composite design with cultivar plaints man growing in five environment.

The second experiment, six amaranthus cultivar amount K 266, K 283 plaints man, K 432 and B 136 were all grown in three environment with five N rates (0.45, 90, 135 and 180kgN ha-1).

There was no response to P and K application when initial soil test were above 68kg P ha-1 and 172kg K ha-1 respectively, but grain amaranthus responded early to applied P and at one location with initial soil pest of 11kg ha-1. Grain yield range from 794 to 1980kg ha-1 and responded to N in most environment.

Forage yield ranged from 61 to 66mg ha-1 and was increased at higher rates. At all locations lodging increases pre-flowering N accumulation but not post flowering N accommodation. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) ratio of grain yield to total soil N supply range from 3.48 to 791 kg kg-1 across cultivar and environment.

Nitrogen use efficiency decreased with increased soil N mainly because of decreased N uptake efficiency (ratio of total plant to total soil).

Grain amaranthus is relatively in efficiency N used primarily because of its low harvest index (HI= 9-15%) and harvest index (NHI= 12-26%).

This suggests that selection for lighter HI and NHI could be effectively improving grain amaranthus.

There is therefore the need for proper soil fertility management in an endeavor to increase crop productivity.

Chapter 3

MATERIALS & METHODS

Description of experimental site

The experiments were carried out in Lafiagi in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State of Nigeria between June and August 2009, the soil in the study site was sandy loam soil.

The materials were;

  1. Plot of the land of 10m X 5m
  2. Amaranth craentus L.
  3. Wood ash manure
  4. NPK inorganic fertilizer
  5. Cutlass and hoe
  6. Tape measure pegs rope
  7. Weighing scale
  8. Thread, graph, pen and exercise book

Cultural practices

The land was cleared manually and tilled out. The seeds of amamranthus cruentus were sown in nursery by preparing a bed of 3m X 3m and then broadcast the seed on it, and the seed were there in the green house for 2 weeks. When the seedlings has develop 3 to 5 leaves the old healthy cane were transported into the main field at a spacing of 20 cm by 15 cm into plot of 1m X 2m bed.

The wood ash treatment, control (ie Notreatment) and NPK fertilizer were brooded casting and then incorporated into the soiling at 10kg wood ash and 1 kg NPK per bed.

Soil analysis and plant analysis

Surface (0-15cm) soil samples were collected from each plot after the clearing of the site and bulked together, air dry, sieved and analyzed. The analysis are as follow: also after data were collected, soil samples of each plot were also collected, air dry, sieved with (2mm) and the analysis are as follow: each leaf samples were harvested immediately after flowering and then air dry and then determine vitamin c.

Growth and yield parameters

Data were collected on the growth parameters of amaranthus after 2 weeks of application of treatment to seedlings.

These were numbers of leaves, stem girth, leaf area, plant height, fresh weight of the plant (root, stem, and leaf), and determination of vitamin c content.

FIRST DATA

2 WEEKS AFTER TRANSPLANTING

Treatment / Plant height / Stem girth / No of leaves / No of branches
A =Trt 1 / 18, 17, 20, 19, 21 / 0.8, 0.6, 0.9, 0.8, 0.8 / 12, 15, 13, 13, 14 / 3, 4, 3, 5 -
B = Trt 2 / 13, 17, 20, 18, 22 / 1.2, 0.9, 0.6, 1.5, 0.9 / 17, 15, 15, 13, 16 / 3, 6, 4, - 2
C = Trt 3 / 29, 19, 20, 16, 18 / 0.8, 0.9, 2.6, 0.5, 0.8 / 14, 12, 12, 14, 10 / 5, -, 3, 5, 4
REP 2
A = Trt 1 / 17, 20, 19, 15, 18 / 0.6, 0.4, 0.8, 0.4, 0.8 / 11, 15, 15, 14, 10 / 2, 4, -, -, 1
B = Trt 2 / 24, 23, 27, 25, 18 / 0.6, 0.9, 1.5, 0.8, 0.5 / 16, 15, 12, 16, 10 / 1, 6, 3, 5, -
C = Trt 3 / 30, 25, 20, 25, 27 / 0.9, 2.6, 0.6, 0.8, 2.6 / 15, 12, 14, 12, 9 / 6, 2, -, 3, 5
REP 3
A = Trt 1 / 20, 16, 14, 16, 14 / 0.6, 0.3, 0.7, 0.4, 0.8 / 12, 16, 15, 14, 14 / 2, -, 6, 3, 5,
B = Trt 2 / 28, 30, 31, 26, 18 / 1.9, 0.8, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.7 / 15, 12, 17, 13, 11 / 5, 5, -, -, 6
C = Trt 3 / 30, 18, 30, 15, 27 / 0.9, 0.5, 0.6, 0.9, 1.3 / 15, 12, 14, 16, 10 / 6, 2, -, 7, 5

SECOND DATA

4 WEEKS AFTER TRANSPLANTING

Treatment / Plant height / Stem girth / No of leave / No of Branches
A = Trt 1 / 20, 25, 22, 30, 14 / 0.9, 1.0, 0.5, 1.2, 0.6 / 13, 11, 10, 10, 12 / 3, 5, 5, -, 3
B =Trt 2 / 30, 26, 27, 34, 22 / 1.0, 1.1, 1.4, 0.9, 0.7, / 15, 15, 15, 16, 12 / 6, -, 6, 5, -
C =trt 3 / 40, 28, 26, 37, 17 / 1.0, 0.7, 1.1, 0.9, 1.2 / 19, 16, 18, 9, 15 / 4, 4, 0, -, 1
REP 2
A =Trt 1 / 32, 30, 20, 12, 12 / 1.0, 0.7, 0.5, 0.9, 1.1 / 11, 14, 11, 13, 10 / 5, 2, 3, 3, -
B = Trt 2 / 35, 26, 20, 25, 22 / 1.4, 0.8, 1.1, 1.0, 0.6 / 14, 16, 16, 10, 12 / 8, -, 4, 6, 3
C = Trt 3 / 27, 38, 30, 39, 30 / 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 0.7, 0.7 / 20, 18, 18, 15, 16 / 3, 4, 0, -, 2
REP 3
A = Trt 1 / 38, 20, 33, 29, 30 / 1.1, 0.6, 1.0, 0.7, 0.9 / 14, 12, 10, 11, 10 / 4, 3, 2, 2, -
B = Trt 2 / 36, 36, 30, 27, 20 / 1.2, 0.8, 1.0, 0.6, 1.1 / 13, 16, 14, 16, 16 / 6, 4, 3, -, 7
C =Trt 3 / 40, 30, 27, 35, 39 / 0.6, 1.7, 0.6, 1.8, 1.2 / 16, 13, 18, 15, 21 / 4, 5, 3, 0, -

THIRD DATA

5 WEEK AFTER TRANSPLANTING

Treatment / Plant height / Stem girth / No of leave / No of branch
A = Trt 1 / 40, 45, 48, 40, 30 / 1.5, 0.9, 1.0, 2.2, 0.7 / 16, 18, 12, 15, 16 / 6, 8, 10, 8, 4
B = Trt 2 / 60, 45, 65, 50, 68 / 1.8, 0.8, 0.6, 0.9, 0.7 / 20, 20, 25, 18, 14 / 8, 10, 6, 5, 10
C = Trt 3 / 70, 68, 71, 60, 42 / 1.8, 1.5, 0.7, 0.9, 0.6 / 20, 20, 18, 25, 16 / 8, 10, 6, 5, 9
REP 2
A = Trt 1 / 38, 41, 40, 47, 38 / 1.4, 1.5, 0.9, 0.6, 2.1 / 20, 20, 18, 25, 16 / 8, 10, 6, 5, 9
B = Trt 2 / 50, 40, 67, 60, 63 / 1.7, 0.8, 0.4, 0.9, 1.8 / 18, 14, 20, 25, 18, / 5, 8, 10, 9, 8
C = Trt 3 / 66, 70, 60, 45, 68 / 0.6, 0.4, 1.6, 1.8, 0.9 / 16, 20, 18, 20, 14 / 6, 4, 9, 8, 9
REP 3
A = Trt 1 / 38, 41, 40, 39, 35 / 1.4, 0.9, 22, 1.6, 0.9 / 18, 18, 12, 15, 12 / 8, 2,2, 9, 3
B = Trt 2 / 64, 60, 55, 40, 50 / 1.7, 0.3, 0.9, 1.4, 0.5 / 25, 20, 18, 14, 20 / 9, 5, 3, 10, 8
C = Trt 3 / 45, 71, 63, 45, 40 / 1.8, 0.9, 0.6, 1.6, 0.5 / 25, 20, 18, 14, 20, 18 / 7, 4, 9, 8, 8
Treatment / Fresh weight of the plant (vegetable) after harvest at 5 weeks of transplanting. ( measured in gram)
REPLICATE ONE
TRT 1 / 48, 32, 40, 45, 24
TRT 2 / 94, 66, 63, 106, 68
TRT 3 / 144, 72, 126, 84, 127
REPLICATE TWO
TRT 1 / 40, 29, 36, 58, 43
TRT 2 / 95, 81, 102, 63, 101
TRT 3 / 128, 99, 110, 130, 104
REPLICATE THREE
TRT 1 / 35, 44, 60, 25, 40
TRT 2 / 88, 112, 74, 101, 66
TRT 3 / 138, 142, 118, 87, 109