Effect of poultry and inorganic manure (N.P.K 15:15:15) on growth, yield and shelf life of tomato (Lycopersicon Esculentum Mill)
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Date
November, 2015
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Abstract
The tomato sector in Ghana has failed to reach its potential in terms of attaining yields comparable to other countries. Soil nutrition plays a major role in determining growth, yield and shelf life of tomato. The research was conducted to assess the effect of poultry and inorganic manure (N.P.K.15:15:15) on the growth, yield and shelf life of tomato (Lycopersicon esculuntum) at Dormaa Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. The study was conducted on a randomized plot design with three replicates per treatment for poultry manure and N.P.K 15:15:15 fertilizer applied at different rates. Plots without poultry manure or N.P.K 15:15:15 fertilizer served as control. Data were collected on vegetative growth, yield and shelf life to assess the influence of the various treatments on these parameters. Data were taken using five randomly sampled plants per plot. The data were subjected to a one- way Analysis of variance to determine the differences in growth, yield and shelf life for the various treatments. Least Significant Difference was carried out using MS Excel to determine difference from control and between the treatments (p≤0.05).Higher values were recorded in all parameters measured under poultry manure than N.P.K fertilizer and control treatments, with increase in poultry and N.P.K fertilizer concentrations various parameters also increased. It is recommended that tomato farmers in Ghana apply poultry manure to their farms for them to attain higher yields to promote food security.
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A thesis submitted to the Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology,
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology,
in partial fulfillment of the requirements Master of Science degree in Environmental Science, 2015