Effects of different concentrations of NPK fertilisers on growth and development of wild okra (Corchorus olitorius)

摘要

Wild okra (ligusha) [Corchorus olitorius L.] is an important indigenous vegetable in Swaziland. Although the crop is a popular vegetable among rural communities, not much has been done to produce it using nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilisers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different concentrations of NPK fertilisers on growth and development of Corchorus olitorius (ligusha). Different concentrations of NPK fertilisers (2.3.2(22), (2.3.2(37) and 2.3.4(39) were applied in an experiment laid in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) whereby in the control, no fertilizer was applied. It was noticed that there were significant (P<0.05) increases in all the growth parameters that were measured in the pots where 2.3.4(39) fertiliser was applied followed in decreasing order by 2.3.2(37), 2.3.2(22) and lastly the control. There were also significant (P<0.05) differences of yield fresh mass and dry mass of ligusha. The plants grown in the 2.3.4(39) applied pots had the highest fresh (142.7 g) and dry yield (31.0 g) mass followed in decreasing order by 2.3.2(37), 2.3.2(22) and lastly the control. The least fresh (14.8 g) and dry yield (3.3 g) mass was recorded in plants grown in the control pots. Plants that grew in the 2.3.4(39) applied fertiliser gave the highest yield of wild okra, under the conditions of this experiment.