Soil nutrient status and okra pod yield as influenced by plant density and cattle dung manure application

Summary

A field was carried out on an ultisol in humid area of Edo State, Nigeria to evaluate the effects of plant density and cattle dung manure application on soil nutrient status and okra pod yield. Treatments consisted of three levels of cow dung (0, 300 and 450 kg N ha-1) and three plant densities (47,619, 66,666 and 83,333 plants per hectare (pph)). A 3 x 3 factorial arrangement fitted into randomized complete block design and replicated three times. Data were collected on soil chemical properties and pod yield of okra. Routine analysis of the soil indicated that the soil was low in nutrient content, thus addition of cattle dung to the soil at various levels influenced the soil nutrient status positively. After cropping with okra, cattle dung application had significant influenced on soil pH, total N, available P and exchangeable Na. Higher plant densities had no significant effect on soil chemical properties except available P which increase as it increased. The highest pod yield (7.39 t ha-1) and relative yield efficiency (RYE) (4.39) were obtained from treatment combination of 83,333 pph and 450 kg N ha-1. However, integration of 83,333 and 300 kg N ha-1 had the optimum pod yield (7.13 t ha-1) and RYE (4.22).