ORGANIC/INORGANIC LEAF AMARANTH PRODUCTION: THE CASE OF POULTRY MANURE, FISH EFFLUENT AND NPK FERTILISER

Summary in the original language of the document

The work evaluated the responses of two Amaranthus species to poultry manure, fish effluent, NPK fertiliser and control in randomised complete block design. A. hybridus was taller, thicker and had more leaves per plant than A. viridis. For each Amaranthus variety, poultry manure produced highest number of leaves and tallest plants with thickest stem followed by fish effluent and NPK fertiliser. A. hybridus had higher leaf and marketable yields/ha than A. viridis. Leaf and marketable yields/ha were highest with poultry manure followed by fish effluent and NPK fertiliser. Leaf yield/ha increased by 105, 34 and 34% for poultry manure, fish effluent and NPK fertiliser, respectively compared with the control in A. hybridus and by 284, 132 and 146% in A. viridis. Similarly, marketable yield/ha increased by 116, 45 and 45% for poultry manure, fish effluent and NPK, respectively in A. hybridus and by 176, 16 and 43% in A. viridis over the control.