The use of microbe plus to improve phosphorus availability from rock phosphate under oil palm (Elaesis guineensis, Jacq.) nursery
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Date
November, 2015
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Abstract
Although there are several options open to process Rock Phosphate (RP) into a form that
is more plant available, the options for small-holder farmers are limited. Practical
alternative methods and technologies of rock phosphates have to be developed for the
farm level. The use of Microbe plus to improve RP solubility under oil palm nursery was
evaluated at Oil Palm Research Institute (OPRI) of Ghana, Kade – Kusi, in the Eastern
Region from May 2013 to May 2014. The study consisted of 16 treatments replicated 3
times in a 4 by 4 factorial experiment arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design
(RCBD). The factors tested were: P fertilizers (Po
; Triple superphosphate, TSP; Senegal
rock phosphate, SRP; Togo rock phosphate, TRP) and Microbe plus rates (0, 50, 100, 150
%). Data collected included number of fronds/palm, butt, height, LA, LAI, dry matter,
frond nutrient contents, soil pH and soil available P. The results showed that the P
fertilizers and Microbe plus rates applied alone or their interactions had no significant
(p>0.05) effect on frond numbers/palm, butt, height, LA, and LAI. Frond nutrient
contents, dry matter produced and soil parameters on the other hand, were significantly
different from each other (p<0.05). The highest pH of 5.1 and available P of 180.36 mg
kg
-1
was observed at 10 months after transplanting (MAT) following the application of
TSP. The use of MP100 showed pH of 5.2 and available P of 142.55 mg kg
-1
at 10 MAT.
The combined applications of TSP + MP150
produced the highest dry weight (285.50 g)
and available P (180.90 mg/kg) (which represented 42 and 285 % increase respectively
over the control). Also, TSP + MP100 treatment recorded 47 % increase in dry weight over
the control at 10 MAT. Soil pH produced by the combined applications was also within
the critical range (4 – 6.5) for oil palms, except for TRP and MP
50 and MP
100 which was
below the critical range. Besides, the combined application of Microbe plus with TSP or
SRP proved to be better option in terms of vegetative growth than the TRP. In all, the
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combined use of MP
100 and P fertilizers gave the highest vegetative and soil parameters
measured. Economically, the most cost effective nutrient input was the use of TSP alone
whiles the least cost effective options were MP150 with TSP or SRP or TRP. The
correlation matrix also showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.873) between seedling
height and butt; a weak positive correlation (r = 0.325) between soil available P and LAI,
as well as, LA and LAI. (r = 0.528). Soil available P and biomass P correlated positively (r
= 0.339), whereas, available P and biomass N correlated negatively (r = -0.543).
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 requirement for the Degree of Master of Philosophy in Soil Science, 2015