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• Effect of sowing dates and NPK levels on active substances in seeds of isabgol plants (Plantago ovata Forsk, L.).

  89-92.

  Y. A. Massoud Hekmat

  H. A. A. Hussein

  M. A. El-Gamal Seham

  Views:

  126

  Two field experiments were carried out in the Experimental Station and Laboratory of the Vegetables and Floriculture Dept., Fac. of Agric., Mansoura Univ., during the winter seasons of 1995/96 and 1996/97. The investigation aimed to study the effect of different sowing dates and NPK fertilization levels, as well as their interactions on active substances extracted from Isabgol plant (mucilage contents). Four sowing dates and six NPK levels were studied. The main findings in this investigation can be summarized as follows:

  1. Plants grown in the first sowing data (Nov. 1st week) produced the highest content of mucilage as g/5 g seeds or as percentage of mucilage per plant.
  2. The addition of NPK fertilization significantly increased the mucilage content of seed and its percentage per plant. The highest content and percentage were in plants treated with the fourth level of NPK (178.0 g/3m²).
  3. Concerning effect of interaction between sowing dates and NPK levels on mucilage content, the highest content and percentage per plant were produced in plants grown in the first sowing date and treated with the fourth level of NPK.

• Effects of biochar and inorganic fertiliser on the growth and yield of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) in Kenya

  37-45.

  E. Kwizera

  A. M. Opiyo

  N. W. Mungai

  Views:

  192

  Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) is a root vegetable packed with many nutritional benefits such as minerals and vitamins. Despite its importance in Kenya, farmers get about 30-35 t/ha which is significantly lower than the potential yield (68 t/ha). This is mostly attributed to low soil fertility. This study aimed to determine the response of the beetroot growth and yield on biochar and NPK. A 3×4 factorial experiment was carried out at Egerton University farm over two seasons to test the effects of biochar and NPK (17-17-17), under supplemental irrigation. Biochar (0, 5, 10 t/ha) was combined with NPK (0, 200, 300, 400 kg/ha). The combination of Biochar and NPK increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) beetroot growth and yield in two seasons. Treatment B10N400 showed the tallest plants (79.2 cm) at 90 days in season two, while the control resulted in the shortest (27.6 cm). Treatment B10N200 showed the biggest (213.2 cm²) leaves at 90 days. The treatment B5N300 recorded the highest marketable yield (84 t/ha) in season two and the lowest was B0N0 with 2.6 t/ha. Sole application of NPK rates (200, 300, 400 kg/ha) increased significantly the growth and yield of beetroot compared to the control in both seasons. In season one, N300 (300 kg/ha) had 61.9 t/ha of the total yield, the control had the lowest. In season two, 300 kg/ha had 83 t/ha of total yield. Biochar increased beetroot growth and yield in season 2. Treatment B5 recorded the highest marketable yield of 61.2 t/ha, while the control showed the lowest of 53 t/ha.

• Impact of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the growth and yield of cabbage in Ghana

  46-49.

  S. Asomah

  J. Paarechuga Anankware

  R. Remember Adjei

  Views:

  635

  A field experiment was conducted at Dormaa Ahenkro, Ghana, to determine the impact of inorganic and organic fertilizers on the growth and yield of cabbage. The experiment was laid in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experiment treatment comprises of sole application of poultry manure (PM), NPK 15:15:5, the combined application of poultry manure and NPK fertilizer (PM+NPK) and the control (no fertilizer). Data was collected on the number of leaves, stem girth, plant height, head diameter, head weight and edible head weight. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) among all the treatments. The combined application of PM+NPK recorded the highest values for all the parameters measured. From the results obtained farmers should consider the combined application of PM and NPK to maximize yield on their farm.

• Assessment of different rates of NPK fertilizer on the growth and yield components of two exotic okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) western urban of Sierra Leone

  55-59.

  P. M. Ngegba

  S. M. Kanneh

  D. D. Quee

  Views:

  313

  The experiment was conducted in an Inland Valley Swamp during the dry spell of 2017 laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) three replications at the Kabala Horticultural Crops Research Centre (KHCRC) cropping site, Ogoo Farm of the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI), Freetown, Sierra Leone. Raised beds measuring 5m x 1m (6 m²) with a 1m furrow between beds. Inter and intra row spacing of 75 cm by 50 cm with two rows per bed and two seeds per hills were directly sown. The treatments constituted NPK 15:15:15 at the rate of 0, 90, 120 and 150 kg/ha designated as T₁, T₂, T₃ & T₄  and Two hybrids of okra were used as experimental materials obtained from Indo-American Hybrid Seed Company, India; Okra-WASA-HyOKR-1 and Okra-WASA-HyOKR-2. Seeds were treated with Thiram Poison for longevity. Result indicates T₂ (25.2; 35.1 cm) and T₄ (56.9 cm) treatments recorded tallest plant heights followed by T₂ (24.0, 34.4 & 50.1 cm), while T₁ (18.8, 28.4 & 33.3 cm) had the shortest plant heights at 4, 8 & 10 Week After Planting respectively. Similarly, T₄ & T₂ (38.9, 65.5 & 44.8 cm) exhibited the largest SG and T₁ (21.7, 33.0 & 52.0 cm) the least values at 4, 8 & 10 Week After Planting. While, the widest and narrowest LA at 4, 8 & 10 Week After Planting was observed in T₃ (131.3, 135.0 & 158.5 cm²) and T1 (120.8, 121.8 & 128.1 cm²). With respect to yield and yield components, the longest (22.0 cm) and heaviest (112.7 g) fruit were recorded by T₃ followed by T2 (19.1 cm & 101.3 g) with T₁ having the shortest (11.7 cm) and lightest (52.3 g). The width of pod in T3 (31.2 cm) was greater than the rest of treatments and as usual, T₁ indicated the least value (14.6 cm) respectively. The average NP produced plant^-1 was shown by T₂ & T₃ (4.0) with the least of fruit produced by T₁ (2.0). Also, 100 seed weight, T₃ (106.7 g) weighted the highest followed by T₂ (103.3 g), while T₁ (60.3 g) accounted for the lowest seed weight. Conclusively, the two materials are adaptable to the climatic conditions of Sierra Leone (Western area). Hence further evaluation required across vegetable growing zones.

• Experimental approach in apple tree nutrition

  9-13.

  T. Kállay

  E. Szűcs

  Views:

  123

  Authors present synthesis of experimental work, performed in the last decades, for better understanding nutritional behaviour of apple trees and related problems in fruit quality. There were evidences supporting possible deteriorating role of potassium in feeble physiological status of apples, if applied in excess. More intensive studies proved that higher potassium uptake into leaves and fruits might be also the result of increased sink power of individual fruits. Nevertheless early senescence of apples during storage and also sensibility to bitter pit were successfully related to the increased sink power of fruits, casual relations in excessive NPK fertilization, although increase in sink power need further investigations. Impaired weather conditions during early development of fruits, hostile orchard practices in pruning, thinning, irrigation and also unskilled application of growth regulators may also contribute in the enhancement of sink power and in weakened physiological status of apple fruits.

• Agromorphological and nutritional quality profiles of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook F.) as influenced by cultivar, growing medium and soil amendment source

  53-59.

  O. Oyetunde

  G. A. S. Benson

  A. K. Oyetunde

  O. J. Olalekan

  C. U. Chukwu

  K. O. Anari

  Views:

  101

  Fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook F.) is popular as food and feed around the world. Sixteen treatments were developed from factorial combinations of three factors: cultivar (ugu elu and ugu ala), growing medium (garden soil (GS) and white sand (WS)), and soil amendment source (poultry manure, NPK, supergro and no amendment). A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the agromorphological and nutritional traits of fluted pumpkin obtained from the treatments. Fresh leaves were analyzed for crude protein, crude fibre, crude lipid, total ash, phytate and nitrate concentrations. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and principal component analysis. Mean plots were used to explain the effects of the three factors and profiling was done using the GYT biplot. There were significant (p≤0.05/0.01) mean squares for measured traits, suggesting the possibility of selection among the treatments. Plants in GS consistently out-performed those in WS for shoot weight, leaf length, and number of leaves per plant possibly due to greater availability of nutrients in the GS. Inconsistent patterns observed in the proximate concentrations of pumpkin from the 16 treatments showed the role of interaction among the three factors. Principal component analysis identified some traits as contributors to differences among the treatments which can be basis of selection. Treatments 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 might be useful to improve vegetative yield while 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 could improve nutritional values of the fluted pumpkin.

• Effect of N, P, K and Mg fertilizers on some vegetative and generative parameters of a sweet cherry cultivar

  27-30.

  Á. Csihon

  I. Gonda

  M. Orosz-Tóth

  S.-né Kincses

  I. J. Holb

  Views:

  381

  This two-year-study was aimed to provide results on the effect of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium fertilizer treatments (control, NP, NPK, NPKMg) on vegetative and generative features of the sweet cherry cultivar ‘Carmen’. Examinations were performed in an orchard planted in 2012 on Prunus mahaleb rootstock with spacing of 5 x 2.5 m. All treatments improved the vegetative features of the sweet cherry trees in both years of 2016 and 2017. Fertilizer treated trees increased trunk cross section area (TCSA) with 51.3-63.1%, while control trees showed 48.3% trunk growth increase. Yields of control trees were lower in both years (5.9-7.2 kg/tree), than that of the fertilized trees (7.8-11.3 kg/tree). Treatments also increased the phosphorus (16-22%), magnesium (12-20%) and potassium content (3.5-18%) of the fruits compared to control treatments.

• Effect of different starter and foliar fertiliser rates on some compositional parameters of sweet corn (Zea mays convar. saccharata Koern.)

  41-44.

  F. Orosz

  E. Stefanovits-Bányai

  K. Slezák

  Views:

  199

  In recent years consumers tend to pay ever greater attention to food ingredients looking for foods with favourable compositional characteristics. Researches nowadays aim to find out what role the different vegetable species play in protection of the human organism. Consumption of vegetables and fruits more times a day plays an important role in this process. The valuable chemical components in plants can eventually be influenced, besides, by environmental characteristics, also by the elements of the production technology applied. Our work aimed to find out what eventual changes occur in the composition parameters of sweet corn (Zea mays convar saccharata Koern.) receiving different NPK fertilizations and top dressed with foliar application of Zn and Mg, destined chiefly for fresh consumption, in response to the treatments mentioned above. The fertiliser rates were compared with the help of the variety Spirit (normal sweet, very early ripening).