EFFECTS OF PHOSPHORUS LEVEL AND SOIL TYPE ON THE GROWTH OF CARIBBEAN STYLO (stylosanthes hamata cv. Verano)
EFFECTS OF PHOSPHORUS LEVEL AND SOIL TYPE ON THE GROWTH OF CARIBBEAN STYLO (stylosanthes hamata cv. Verano)
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Date
1990-06
Authors
MUSA, ABUBAKAR
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Abstract
A pot experiment was conducted in a glasshouse at Samaru
between June and September, 1989 to i n v e s t i g a t e the e f f e c t s of
f i v e phosphorus l e v e l s and three s o i l types c o l l e c t e d from Samaru
(Northern Guinea Savanna), Jos (Montane) and Sokoto (Sudan Savanna)
on the growth of Caribbean s t y l o (Stylosanthes hamata cv. Verano).
Most of the plant morphological a t t r i b u t e s , components of
plant dry matter y i e l d and plant nutrient composition and uptake
were s i g n i f i c a n t l y affected by phosphorus. In s o i l s collected from
Samaru and J o s , phosphorus reduced days to 50% flowering and
increased branch and nodule numbers while in the absence of added
phosphorus Verano s t y l o planted into s o i l s collected from Sokoto
flowered e a r l i e s t and produced the highest number of seeds and
nodules. Phosphorus a p p l i c a t i o n increased dry matter y i e l d s of
t o t a l plant and plant t o p . Yield of the root component was lowest
and in fact declined further with phosphorus a p p l i c a t i o n.
Phosphorus thus plays a g r e a t e r r o l e in increasing plant top dry
matter y i e l d.
The study suggested t h a t s o i l s collected from Jos suit seed
production and would require up to 240 kg PpC/ha for t h i s purpose
while s o i l s sampled from Samaru and Sokoto required 180 and 60 - 120 kg.
P2O5/ha, r e s p e c t i v e l y for forage production.
Nitrogen (N),phosphorus (P)tpotassium (K) and magnesium (Mg)
concentrations peaked at 180 kg P2O5/ha, whereas uptake of these
n u t r i e n t s maximised between 120 and 180 kg P2O5/ha. The N, P, K,
Ca and Mg concentrations obtained in t h i s study were above the
l e v e l s regarded as minimum needed for ruminant live weight maintenance- „
The need for f i e l d t r i a l s to support the findings in the present
study was i n d i c a t e d.
Description
A THESIS
SUBMITTED TO THE POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER
OF SCIENCE IN ANIMAL SCIENCE.
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
Keywords
EFFECTS,, PHOSPHORUS,, LEVEL,, SOILS,, GROWTH,, CARIBBEAN STYLO,, stylosanthes hamata cv.,, Verano