Effects of Farmyard Manure and Integrated Weed Management on Okra Growth Parameters (Abelmoschus Esculentus (L.) Moench) at Dadinkowa

Introduction

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L) Moench) is one of the most prominent and lucrative vegetables that can be eaten in cooked or processed form and the young fruits may also be eaten raw [1]. The nutritional composition of okra fruits includes calcium, protein, oil, carbohydrates, iron, magnesium and phosphorus [2]. Okra seeds contain approximately 21% protein, 14% lipids and 5% ash [2]. Besides other factors such as rainfall, temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, pests and diseases for lower yields, lack of proper fertilizer application and effective weed management are also responsible for reduced yields and quality of okra [3-5].

In order to prevent the current global high price and short supply of mineral fertilizers and their deleterious effects on ecosystems, there is therefore the need to develop a sustainable cropping system and soil fertility management through the supply of sufficient organic matter for optimum okra growth. Making nutrients available to crops generally means making nutrients available to weeds [6]. The timing of nutrient availability relative to crop and weed demands upon nutrient supplies appears to be especially important for determining the outcome of competitive interaction [6]. In addition, the level of soil fertility determines the relative competitiveness between the crop and the weeds. At higher levels of N, weeds like Cyperus rotundus, Cyperus esculentus, Imperica cylindrica, Cynodon dactylon are generally more competitive than okra [5,7].

However, appropriate agronomic practices and management decisions can have a significant influence on the type and number of weeds interfering with okra. Understanding this relationship can help okra growers manage weeds through the avoidance of the critical period of weed competition with the crop and various cultural management practices [5,7].

In view of the importance of okra as a major source of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, there is therefore the need for Nigerian farmers to adopt modern okra production technologies in order to increase its production through the use of farmyard manure as sources of plant nutrients and integrated weed management practices. In the study area of Dadinkowa Nigeria, farmers neglect the use of proper farmyard manure and integrated weed management in okra production. Therefore, the experiment was conducted to determine the effects of farmyard manure and integrated weed management, and to evaluate interaction effects of farmyard manure and integrated weed management on the growth of okra.

Materials and Methods

Field trials were conducted during the 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal College of Horticulture; Dadinkowa situated in the Sudan savannah agro-ecological zone of Nigeria.

The design used for the experiment was a split-plot with farmyard manure rates (F 0 = 0 t ha-1, F1= 2 t ha-1, F2 = 4 t ha-1, F3 = 6 t ha-1 and F4 = 8 t ha-1) were assigned to main plot treatments and integrated weed management rates (W0 = No weeding + 0.0 kg a.i. ha-1 of pendimethalin 500 EC, W1 = Weeding once at 2 WAS + 2.5 kg a.i. ha-1 of pendimethalin 500 EC, W2 = Weeding once at 2 + 4 WAS + 2.5 kg a.i. ha-1 of pendimethalin 500 EC, W3 = Weeding once at 2 + 4 + 6 WAS + 2.5 kg a.i. ha-1 of pendimethalin 500 EC and W4 = Weeding once at 2 + 4 + 6 together with 8 WAS + 2.5 kg a.i. ha-1 of pendimethalin 500 EC) were assigned to sub-plot treatments and replicated three times. Three seeds of okra per holes were sown on the 28 June, 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons, using hand hoe at the rate of three seeds hole-1 and later thinned to two seedlings stand-1 at an inter and intra-row spacing of 50 cm and 50 cm respectively, during the first weeding two weeks after sowing.

The farmyard manure treatments were composted for three weeks and applied on the plots a week before sowing. Pendimethalin 500 EC was applied using a CP15 knapsack sprayer immediately after sowing to treated plots at the rate of 2.5 kg a.i. ha-1. The first weeding started at 2 WAS and subsequent weeding followed at 4, 6 and 8 WAS. Data was collected from 2 WAS at an interval of 4 WAS up to end of the experiment.

Results

Effects of farmyard manure and integrated weed management on plant height of okra

Tables 1 shows that at 4 WAS in 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons, there were no significant (P≤0.05) differences on plant height of okra among the treatment means. However, at 8 WAS there were significant (P≤0.05) differences on plant height of okra. The control treatment of 0 t ha-1 of farmyard manure produced significantly lower plant height than plots receiving farmyard manure. The highest plant height was recorded at 8 t ha-1 of farmyard manure. Also, at 12 and 14 WAS, differences in plant height followed apparently the same pattern as at 8 WAS. Significant differences were observed on plant height due to integrated weed management.

The control treatment of no weed control significantly gave the lowest plant height, while weeding at 2, 4, 6 and 8 WAS together with 2.5 kg a. i. ha-1 of pendimethalin 500 EC applied, significantly produced a higher mean value.

Effects of farmyard manure and integrated weed management on number of leaves plant-1 of okra

Tables 2 shows that at 4, 8, 12 and 14 WAS in the 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons, there were significant (P≤0.05) differences on number of leaves plant-1 of okra among the treatment means. The control treatment of 0 t ha-1 of farmyard manure produced significantly lower mean value on number of leaves plant-1 than the rest of the treatments. The 8 t ha-1 of farmyard manure significantly gave the highest mean value among the treatments on number of leaves plant-1. It also shows that at 4, 8, 12 and 14 WAS, there were significant (P≤0.05) differences among the treatment means due to integrated weed management (Table 2). The control treatment of no weed control significantly (P≤0.05) produced the lowest mean value on number of leaves plant-1, while weeding at 2, 4, 6 and 8 WAS + 2.5 kg a. i. ha-1 of pendimethalin 500 EC significantly produced the highest mean value on number of leaves plant-1.

Effects of farmyard manure and integrated weed management on number of branches plant-1 of okra

At 4 WAS in 2011 cropping season, there were no significant (P<0.05) difference on number of branches plant-1 of okra among the treatment means (Tables 3). On the other hand, at 4 WAS, in 2012 cropping season, there were significant (P<0.05) differences on number of branches plant-1 of okra. The control treatment (0 t ha-1 of farmyard manure) produced significantly lower number of branches plant-1 than plots that received farmyard manure. The highest number of branches plant-1 was recorded at 8 t ha-1 of farmyard manure applied. Also, at 8, 12 and 14 WAS, in 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons there were significant differences on number of branches plant-1 of okra, with the control of no farmyard manure significantly producing a lower mean value, whereas application of 8 t ha-1 of farmyard manure significantly produced the highest mean value on number of branches plant-1. Significant differences were observed on plant height due to integrated weed management. The control treatment of no weed control significantly gave the lowest number of branches plant-1, while weeding at 2, 4, 6 and 8 WAS together with 2.5 kg a. i. ha-1 of pendimethalin 500 EC applied, significantly produced higher means on number of branches plant-1.

Effects of farmyard manure and integrated weed management on leaf area plant-1 of okra

Tables 4 shows that at 4, 8 12 and 14 WAS in 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons, there were significant (P<0.05) differences on leaf area plant-1 of okra among the treatment means. The control treatment of 0 t ha-1 of farmyard manure produced significantly lower leaf area plant-1 than plots that received farmyard manure. The highest leaf area plant-1 was recorded at 8 t ha-1 of farmyard manure applied.

Table 4 shows significant (P<0.05) differences were observed on leaf area plant-1 due to integrated weed management. The control treatment of no weed control significantly gave the lowest leaf area plant-1, while weeding at 2, 4, 6 and 8 WAS combined with 2.5 kg a. i. ha-1 of pendimethalin 500 EC, significantly produced a higher mean value of leaf area plant-1.

Table 1: Effects of Farmyard manure and Integrated Weed Management on Plant height of Okra. Means followed by the same letter (s) in a column are not significantly different according to Duncans’ Multiple Range Test at 5% level of probability.

Table 2: Effects of Farmyard manure and Integrated Weed Management on Number of leaves plant^-1 of Okra. Means followed by the same letter (s) in a column are not significantly different according to Duncans’ Multiple Range Test at 5% level of probability.

Table 3: Effects of Farmyard manure and Integrated Weed Management on Number of branches plant^-1 of Okra. Means followed by the same letter (s) in a column are not significantly different according to Duncans’ Multiple Range Test at 5% level of probability.

Table 4: Effects of Farmyard manure and Integrated Weed Management on Leaf area plant^-1 (cm²) of Okra. Means followed by the same letter (s) in a column are not significantly different according to Duncans’ Multiple Range Test at 5% level of probability.

Discussion

The results of the experiment showed that farmyard manure application significantly influenced the growth of okra. Application of farmyard manure improved growth attributes of okra [8]. The highest values were maintained by the application of 4-8 t ha-1 of farmyard manure, while growth characters were also considerably improved by the application of 2, 4 and 6 t ha-1 of farmyard manure [8]. This kind of positive influence of farmyard manure on okra dry matter production and partitioning had been reported by [8]. Akanbi WB, at al. also indicated that higher dry matter production at higher rates of farmyard manure favoured the development of plant growth parameters which culminated into the production of more fruits [9]. When nutrients were available in the suitable proportion or quantity the photosynthetic activity of okra were considerably favoured. This may have improved light interception, dry matter production, accumulation and partitioning [8,10].

Growth parameters were significantly influenced by the application of farmyard manure. The 8 t ha-1 of farmyard manure maintained the highest traits in the 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons. Though the traits obtained with application of 8 t ha-1 of farmyard manure were not significantly higher than 4 and 6 t ha-1. Significant enhancement of growth traits of okra with farmyard manure application corroborates the report of [11]. This implied that adequacy for the supply of nutrients was necessary for optimum okra growth.

Weeding once at 2 + 4 + 6 and 8 WAS + 2.5 kg a.i. ha-1 of pendimethalin 500 EC significantly produced higher means of okra growth parameters than the other treatments. The control of no weeding + 0.0 kg a.i. ha-1 of pendimethalin 500 EC significantly produced lower means of growth parameters of okra. Anzalone A, et al. demonstrated that growth of weeds was drastically reduced with the application of mulches and herbicides [12]. Plant height, number of leaves plant-1, number of branches plant-1 and leaf area plant-1 from the unweeded plots were significantly lower than weeded plots.

This reveals that weed interference beyond 4 WAS had an adverse effect on these parameters. The results also showed that keeping weeds beyond 4 WAS in okra plots caused a higher flower abortion. These led to reduction in growth and consequently lower traits. Okra has a certain range of tolerance to weed competition and length of period in which it is required to be weeding free [2,6,13]. It is a known fact that weed interference with okra has always led to growth reduction [2,6,13].

Conclusions

From the results, it was observed that the control treatment of no farmyard manure, significantly gave the lowest mean values of treatments, while application of 4 t ha-1 of farmyard manure significantly gave the highest mean values of treatments in all parameters measured. The control treatment of no weeding, significantly produced the lowest mean values while, weeding at 2 + 4 + 6 and 8 WAS + 2.5 kg a.i. ha-1 of pendimethalin 500 EC significantly gave higher mean values in all parameters studied. Therefore, application of 8 t ha-1 of farmyard manure and weeding at 2 + 4 + 6 and 8 WAS + 2.5 kg a.i. ha-1 of pendimethalin 500 EC was recommended for optimum okra growth in Dadinkowa, as well as integrated weed management in okro production in the study area.

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