EFFECTS OF NPK 15:15:15 FERTILIER AND SPACING ON THE Physiological Parameters OF OKRO (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) AT DUTSE, JIGAWA STATE

Abstract

A two-year field investigation was conducted at the Federal University Dutse Teaching and Research Farm, situated in the Northern Sudan Savanna ecological zone of Nigeria, during the 2018 and 2019 rainy seasons. This study aimed to assess the synergistic effects of NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer applications and plant spacing on the physiological parameters of okra. The experiment employed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications, comprising three levels of NPK fertilizer (30, 60, and 120 Kgha^-1) and three spacing (10, 15, and 20 cm). The results revealed significant (p < 0.05) effects of NPK fertilizer application on okra plant height, branching habit, primary branches, fruit length, and pod production per plant. Furthermore, varying spacing treatments significantly (p < 0.05) influenced plant height, leaf production, fruit length, and seed number per pod. The optimal combination of 120 kgha^-1 NPK fertilizer and 20 cm spacing yielded the best results, highlighting the potential for improved okra production in the region. It is recommended that okra farmers apply 120kgha^-1 NPK fertilizer and adopt 20cm spacing to optimize growth, yield, improves food security, creates jobs, and boosts farmer incomes, contributing to economic growth and productivity in the Northern Sudan Savanna zone.