Effect of Time of Poultry Manure Application on Leave and Pulp Nutrient Concentrations and Uptakes of Plantain

Abstract

The effect of time of poultry manure application (TMA) on leaf and pulp nutrient concentrations and uptakes of plantain were examined under field condition for two consecutive crop cycles (mother and first ratoon crops) in International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Onne station, Rivers State, Nigeria. Two genotypes (PITA 17 and French Reversion) received 20t/ha of poultry manure at planting, 1, 2 and 3 months after planting (MAP), with no manure application as the control. This was laid as a 2 x 5 factorial in randomized complete block design with three replicates. Leaf P and K concentrations and uptakes were higher in PITA 17 than in French Reversion. The leaf N concentration was higher in French Reversion than in the PITA 17 but K uptake was higher in PITA 17 than French Reversion. At the sixth MAP, the highest leaf K uptake was observed when poultry manure was applied at 1 MAP. The pulp concentration of N, P, K, Ca, Fe and Zn were higher in PITA 17 than French Reversion in both crop cycles. However, the pulp of French Reversion mined more of the nutrients and accumulated higher dry matter and produced heavier fruits. In the plant crop, the time of poultry manure application did not influence the nutrient concentration and uptake but in the ratoon crop, the pulp N concentration was higher when plants received poultry manure at 2 MAP and no application. The pulp P content increased with poultry manure application while highest Ca was obtained when manure was applied at planting. Heaviest fruits were associated to poultry manure applied on or before 1 MAP. Highest N (40.05 kg/ha) and Fe (1281.00 mg/kg) uptakes were observed when French Reversion received poultry manure at 2 MAP in the plant crop. N, P and fresh fruit weight were also highest when French Reversion received poultry manure despite the time of poultry manure application in the first ratoon crop. The pulp N, P and Zn concentrations and uptakes were higher during the ratoon crop than the plant crop but the Fe concentrations and uptakes were higher in the plant than in the ratoon crop. The study showed that the application of poultry manure on or before 2 MAP enhanced the mineralization of the nutrients as well as their uptake in the leaf and pulp. The availability of these mineral nutrients, especially in the pulp (the edible proportion of plantain) guarantees its nutritional qualities hence meeting the nutritional requirements of humans and livestock as they consume the plantain pulp.