Effect of Different Levels of Poultry Manure on Growth and Yield of a Maranthus Plant (Amaranthus hybridus) in Obio Akpa, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

The field experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research farm of Akwa Ibom State University Obio Akpa campus, in 201 B to determine the Optimum Poultry manure rate for Amaranthus. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design replicated three times. The treatments were four rates of poultry manure and 6 t/ha) Growth and yield parameters were assessed, and data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). Significance difference at 5% probability. Results showed that poultry manure rate had significant (pe 0.05) effects on all the growth and yield parameters assessed except stem girth. The treatment that received 6 t/ ha performed best in all the parameters, while the least was recorded from the control treatment. The application of 6 t/ ha poultry manure, produced 12:19 t/ha fresh foliage yield, followed by the plot that received 4 t/ha poultry (1 1.33 t/ha), The treatment of 2 t/ha produced 7.70 t/ha foliage yield. The lowest foliage yield of 3.18 t/ha was harvested from the control plot the application of poultry manure also enhanced dry matter accumulation. The plot of 6 t/ha poultry manure produced 30.71g matter, while the control treatment had 33.14g. Therefore, the study recommended the application of 4t/ha poultry manure for optimum fresh foliage yield and dry matter accumulation.