Development of Sustainable Nutrient Management Strategy for Oil Palm (Elaeis Guineensis Jacq.) Nursery: - Green-Gro and Polyfeed Evaluation
| dc.contributor.author | Adu, Charles | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2011-08-18T22:45:46Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-04-19T12:19:27Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2011-08-18T22:45:46Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-04-19T12:19:27Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2008-08-18 | |
| dc.description | A Thesis submitted to the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Soil Chemistry and Plant Nutrition. | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | The Performance of oil palm seedlings grown in a compost-soil mixture (green-gro) medium and top soil with the application of three different formulations of fertilizer was evaluated. The study was conducted for a period of eight months at the Sapcoe President's Special Initiative (PSI) oil palm nursery located at Okyinso near Kade. Green-gro, a propagation medium was introduced for application by nursery operators participating in the production of oil palm seedlings under the PSI on oil palm programme. The trial consisted of eight treatments replicated three times in a mised complete block design. Both media were characterized before the experiment and is conducted during and after the experiment for physical and chemical properties and microbial biomass (N, P and C). Growth parameters measured over the experimental period were butt circumference, plant height, number of leaves, frond dry weight, leaf area and leaf area index. Destructive measurement was conducted at the end of the experiment. Plants were analysed for total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium at bimonthly intervals. Nutrient use efficiencies were computed and agro-economic appraisal calculated for all the treatments. Plant nutrients and organic matter accumulated more in green-gro medium than the topsoil during after the experiment. pH increased rapidly in the topsoil treatments than in the green-gro medium treatments. Vegetative growth in seedlings planted in bags filled with ordinary topsoil was rally better than their counterparts planted in the green-gro medium. Higher accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium were observed in seedlings planted in bags with top soil than those planted in green-gro medium. Seedlings planted in topsoil produced dry shoot to root ratio than their counterparts planted in green-gro medium, However, lings planted in green-gro medium produced more dry root to shoot ratio than their counterparts planted in the topsoil. Seedling mortality rate was low among seedlings planted in bagsfilled with green-gro medium. Generally, nutrient recovery rate was low for phosphorus and potassium. The recovery rate was high for nitrogen in treatments with N P K Mg and Polyfeed + fertilization and high for magnesium in treatments with Polyfeed fertilization irrespective of the media. The cost of using green-gro medium was extremely higher than the use of topsoil for establishment and was aggravated when Polyfeed was used for fertilization. The quality of topsoil is an important determinant for seedling growth and survival and should be properly to reduce cost of production. | en_US |
| dc.description.sponsorship | KNUST | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir.knust.edu.gh/handle/123456789/995 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.title | Development of Sustainable Nutrient Management Strategy for Oil Palm (Elaeis Guineensis Jacq.) Nursery: - Green-Gro and Polyfeed Evaluation | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
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