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Effect of Poultry Manure and Palm Bunch Ash on Growth and Yield Of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) on a Tropical Ultisol at Umudike, Nigeria
Abstract
A trial was conducted in 2010 and 2011 cropping seasons at the National Root Crops Research Institute‘s Experimental farm at Umudike to determine the effect of poultry manure and palm bunch ash on the growth and yield of ginger (Zingiber officinale). The treatments comprised four rates of poultry manure (0, 3, 6, 7, 9t/ha) combined factorially with four rates of palm bunch ash (0, 3, 6, 9t/ha).the ginger variety used was UGI. Mean number of tillers/plant measured at 4 months after planting (MAP) was significantly (P<0.05) increased by poultry manure over the control. Palm bunch ash did not have effect on mean number of tillers/plant. Poultry manure applied at 6/ha gave mean number of tillers/plant of 6.70 which was significantly higher than 5.5 obtained with the control. Plant height measured at the same period was significantly increased by both poultry manure and palm bunch ash application. Poultry manure and palm bunch ash each applied at 3t/ha resulted to significantly higher ginger rhizome yield at 6MAP over the control. It was therefore recommended that for ginger production on the soil studied 3t/ha of poultry manure and 3t/ha of palm bunch ash should be applied.
Keywords: Ginger, poultry manure, palm bunch ash, growth and yield