Growth and nutrient uptake of Citrus rootstock varieties as affected poultry manure and NPK fertilizer in Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Screen house experiment was conducted to determine the optimum rate of organic, inorganic and organo-mineral fertilizers that would enhance the growth and nutrient uptake of citrus rootstock seedlings. Two rootstock varieties [Cleopatra mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) and Rough lemon (Citrus jambhiri Lush)] and ten fertilizer rates [0, 3, 6 and 9 t/ha poultry manure (PM), 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 t/ha NPK 15-15-15 (NPK), 1.5 t/ha PM+0.2 t/ha NPK, 3 t/ha PM+0.15 t/ha and 4.5 t/ha PM+0.1 t/ha NPK] serve as main and sub-plot treatments respectively in split plot experimental design. Results obtained showed that seedlings grown with 9 t/ha PM and 0.2 t/ha NPK had significantly (p= 0.05) higher plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter and nutrient uptake as compared to other fertilizer treatments throughout the period of investigation. Rough lemon seedlings had significantly higher number of leaves and number of branches compared to Cleopatra mandarin during the period of study. There were no significant differences in dry matter accumulation between the two rootstock types. Since plant height and stem diameter determine the quality of rootstock seedlings, poultry manure at 9 t/ha and NPK fertilizer at 0.2 t/ha are therefore recommended for propagation of citrus seedlings in the screen house. Key words: Spices, Prevalence, Supply, Usage, Profitability, Constraints.