INFLUENCE OF FERTILIZER COMBINATION AND TRAINING METHODS ON GROWTH AND PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS OF FLUTED PUMPKIN (Telfairia occidentalis Hook F.) SAMARU, NORTHERN GUINE SAVVAN, NIGERIA.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/jaat.2025.1104.02Keywords:
Fertilizer combination,, training method,, physiological traints,, fluted Pumpkin, SamaruAbstract
A field experiment was conducted during the 2023 and 2024 wet seasons at the Institute for Agricultural Research Farm, Samaru, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, located in the Northern Guinea Savanna ecological zone of Nigeria (11°11′N, 07°38′E; 686 m above sea level)to evaluate the effects of fertilizer combinations and training methods on selected physiological growth parameters of fluted pumpkin. The treatments comprised seven combinations of poultry manure (PM) and NPK fertilizer (3 t PM + 250 kg NPK, 3 t PM + 0 kg NPK, 6 t PM + 0 kg NPK, 0 t PM + 250 kg NPK, 0 t PM + 500 kg NPK, 6 t PM + 500 kg NPK and 0 t PM + 0 kg NPK) and two training methods (Single-stake and no training). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and replicated three times. The study assessed leaf area index (LAI), chlorophyll content, crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), and net assimilation rate (NAR) at different growth stages. Results showed that fertilizer combinations significantly influenced most physiological parameters measured. The integrated application of NPK fertilizer and poultry manure (NPK100 + PM100) generally produced the highest values for LAI, CGR, RGR, and NAR across several growth stages, while the control treatment (NPK0 + PM0) consistently recorded the lowest values. At 6 and 8 weeks after sowing (WAS), higher LAI and chlorophyll content were observed under treatments that combined mineral fertilizer with poultry manure, indicating improved nutrient availability and enhanced photosynthetic capacity. Similarly, CGR and RGR increased under fertilized treatments, reflecting improved biomass accumulation and growth efficiency, whereas unfertilized plots exhibited reduced growth due to nutrient limitations. Net assimilation rate followed a similar trend, with fertilized treatments showing higher photosynthetic efficiency compared with the control. Training methods also influenced some physiological parameters; trained plants generally recorded higher chlorophyll content, relative growth rate, and net assimilation rate, while non-trained plants exhibited higher crop growth rate at certain stages due to unrestricted vegetative growth. However, no significant interaction effects were observed between fertilizer combinations and training methods across the measured parameters. Conclusively the results indicate that integrated nutrient management, particularly the combined application of NPK fertilizer and poultry manure, enhances physiological growth performance and photosynthetic efficiency of fluted pumpkin.
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