Effect of Distilled Cassava with Soluble as Bio-fertilizer on Solanum macrocarpon

Abstract

Solanum macrocarpon is an indigenous vegetable grown in Nigeria. It is a good sources of vitamins, minerals, protein,

anti-oxidants and fibre in south west Nigeria. It is a plant with edible fruits. Production of this vegetable is affected by many factors, with the source of nitrogen fertilizer being among the most important. Plant height and yield vary with the different fertilizers and rates of application. This investigation was therefore carried out to examine the effect of Distilled Cassava with Soluble as Bio-fertilizer on Solanum macrocarpon. The experiment consists of four treatments: T1: without fertilizer, T2: 160g NPK 15:15:15, T3: whole distilled cassava with soluble (WDCS) 5 kg and T4: Liquid distilled cassava with soluble (LDCS) 10 litres, laid out in a Complete Randomize B lock design (CRD) The experimental site was sandy loam. 20 g of Solanum macrocarpon seeds were planted into the beds of 3m x 3m each using drilling method. Bed allotted withT2 had highest plant height and yield compared with T1, T3 and T4 as a result of readily available supply of nitrogen from NPK 15:15:15. Plant treated with T3 and T4 also performed better compared to T1 in term of plant height and yield. The sources of nitrogen were shown to significantly (P≤0.05) affect plant height and yield. Vegetable beds treated with WDCS and LDCS also produced good results in terms of plant height and yield compared to inorganic fertilizer but, inorganic f ertilizer (NPK 15:15:15) performed better. Distilled cassava with soluble can serve as good alternative to inorganic fertilizer during short season vegetable farming. Further study can also be carried out on the dose application and techniques of applying Distilled cassava with soluble.