TITLE:
Evaluation of Different Fertilizer Application Levels on Early Growth of Baobab Seedlings in Malawi
AUTHORS:
Ngagne Ndong, Jarret Mhango, Elisha Ngulube, Thaddeus Zaabwe
KEYWORDS:
Adansonia digitata, NPK Fertilizer, Dormancy, Growth Parameters, Salt Index, Seed Provenance
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.11 No.7,
July
25,
2024
ABSTRACT: Although there has been remarkable research on domestication of baobab (Adansonia digitata), its early growth using fertilizer at different application levels is still not well known. This study aimed at investigating an ideal NPK fertilizer application level on early growth of A. digitata. The study was conducted in the forest nursery from 23 November 2020 to 24 May 2021. A. digitata seeds collected from Namalaka in Mangochi were directly sown in polythene tubes of a 15 × 24 cm size. Four treatments of different compound D NPK fertiliser levels (0, 20, 40 and 60 g plant−1) consisting of 10 tubes per treatment were arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 replicates each. Results showed significant differences among treatments for the various growth parameters with 20 g plant−1 giving the highest number of leaves, root collar diameter, plant height, tuber length, tuber diameter, tuber weight, leaf diameter and length for all treatments. The study concluded that the best baobab growth response is achieved using an NPK level of 20 g plant−1 in the nursery environment. Notwithstanding, a study on fertilizer application levels involving different seed sources should be conducted in reference to this study for more comprehensive fertilizer application effect on baobab seedlings.