Okra (Abelsmoschus esculentus L. Moench) performance with the application of composts made from different source materials

ABSTRACT In sub-Saharan Africa, the high cost of synthetic fertilisers and the need to produce higher quality crops have necessitated research on alternative nutrient inputs. The effects of soil amendments with poultry manure + Tithonia diversifolia compost at 10, 20, 30 t ha−1 (PMC10, PMC20, PMC30), cow dung + T. diversifolia compost at 10, 20, and 30 t ha−1 (CDC10, CDC20, CDC30) poultry manure (PM) at 10 t ha−1 (PM10), cow dung (CD) at 15 t ha−1 (CD15), and T. diversifolia (TT) at 10 t ha−1 (TT10) on growth, yield and quality of okra was investigated in a field trial in Abeokuta, Nigeria in 2011 and 2013. Treatments were arranged using a randomised block design with three replicates. The highest numbers of leaves per plant (14) were recorded in the treatments with PMC20 and PMC30 in 2011 and 2013, respectively. Application of PMC20 significantly reduced the number of days to 50% flowering compared with the control. In 2011, the potassium concentration in okra leaves and the nitrogen concentration in okra pods were highest for plants grown in soil amended with PMC30. The uptake of phosphorus was highest for plants treated with CDC20 (1.26 g m−2) and with TT10 (0.65 g m−2) in 2011 and 2013, respectively. All treatments resulted in significant increases in the yield of pods compared with the control. PM and CD used either in their original forms or composted with Tithonia diversifolia improved the growth and yield of the okra and the nutrient concentrations of the pods.