Cashew Growth and Canopy Dynamics as Influenced by Manuring in a Guinea Savanna Agro-Ecology of Nigeria

Abstract

A two-year experiment was conducted to study the response of manuring on growth and canopy development on three-year-old Cashew trees. The experiment was laid in a randomized complete block design, with three replications. Soil characteristics including the chemical and physical properties were analyzed before and after the experiments. Fecti-plus organic pelletized fertilizer was applied at different rates of 0,750.6 and 1,501.2 kg/ha-1 respectively around the circumference of the tree. Before the application, the fertilizer sample was also analyzed. Data collected were plant height, stem girth, canopy dynamics which includes: Canopy diameter, canopy radius, canopy spread (North-South and East-West directions), canopy volume, canopy ground cover and percentage ground cover. The results from the pre soil sample show a relatively low status but were significantly enhanced after the application of the pelletized organic fertilizer (Ferti-plus). The soil nutrient composition of Oc, Om, N, K, Na, Ca and Mg+ was significantly highest in the plots having 1,501.2 kg/ha-1 treatments. Generally, there was a significant increase in the soil nutrient with the addition of pelletized fertilizer in respective of the rate of application. Also the results on the canopy dynamic in terms of canopy volume, spread and diameter revealed better development with the use of 1501.2 kg/ha-1 pelletized fertilizer and significantly different to 750.6 kg/ha-1 and those in the no-manure (control)plots. Meanwhile, the use of pelletized organic fertilizer gave superior growth and canopy development. It also influenced the growth of the Cashew plants, as well as the physical and chemical properties of the soil status.