EFFECT OF NPK 15:15:15 FERTILIZER ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF OKRA (Abelmoschus esculentus)

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out in Teaching and Research Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria to determine Effect of NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer on the growth and yield of okra. Okra seeds was planted at a spacing of 50x50cm on a plot measuring 1.8 by 2.4m away from the farm size of 15 by 12.2m and inorganic fertilizers was applied twice (two and four weeks after planting). The field was kept weed free throughout the crop growing period by hand weeding because of the closeness to plants. The soil parameters include pH, exchangeable bases, Cation exchange capacity, particle size distribution, organic carbon. The treatments were Control, 200kg 300kg and 400kgNPK fertilizer per hectare. Results shows that the pH of soil before planting (5.01) was strongly acid and after planting the pH across the control treatment was strongly acid while treatment such as 200kg ,300kg, 400kg NPK fertilizers per hectare .is extremely acid which is due to the continuous usage of the land, age of the parent materials and also leaching of basic nutrients. Other physical and chemical parameters such as total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable bases were low due to leaching and some environmental factors. The textural class of the soil was loamy sand. It was observed that 200kg NPK had the highest fresh pod weight which shows high productivity of okra with the use of 200kg /ha NPK fertilizer. Based on response of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) to the different types of fertilizer treatment used, the order for better production of okra was 200kg /haNPK> 400kg /haNPK > 300kg /haNPK. For optimum production of okra 300kg/ha-400kg/ha are recommended for soils of the Research Farm.