The growth of Desert date (<i>Balanites aegyptiaca</i> Del.) seedlings under varied rates of fertilizer and pot sizes in the nursery

Abstract

A study was carried out on the growth response of Desert date seedlings to varied rates of NPK fertilizer in different pot sizes. Polythene bags of various sizes (23× 8 cm, 23 ×14 cm and 23 × 26.4 cm) were filled with topsoil and later, viable seeds were directly sawn in each bag and two weeks after germination, NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer was applied at four (4) different levels (0 g, 5 g, 10 g and 15 g) per polythene bag. The experiment was arranged in 3× 4 × 5 factorial experiment in a Completely Randomized Design. Seedlings were efficiently watered and data were collected fortnightly for 10 weeks on percentage survival, stem height, collar diameter and number of leaves. The data were analyzed with Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and at P<0.05, the means were separated using Duncan Multiple Range Tests. The treatments posed significant effects on the seedlings where the polythene bag size of 23 × 26.4 cm filled with 3 kg of topsoil without fertilizer performed best in all the variables assessed hence recommended for the production of seedlings of Desert date in the nursery.