Mycofertigation Production of Okra (Abelmoshus esculentus, L, Moench) under pot and field conditions

Abstract

The response of okra to mycorrhizal inoculation and diluted cow dung applications under screenhouse and field conditions were carried out in the Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan. It was a factorial experiment with two levels of diluted cow dung and two levels of mycorrhizal inoculation (with and without). Each treatment was replicated three times in complete randomize design and randomize complete block design under screenhouse and field conditions respectively. Data on vegetative growth parameters and fresh fruit yield were collected and analysed using ANOVA. Height of plant was enhanced by approximately 25% when diluted cowdung was applied, but this was not significant. Under field condition, with mycorrhizal inoculation, application of diluted cowdung significantly reduced the fresh yield of okra fruit by approximately 20%. Inoculation with mycorrhizal however significantly increased fresh fruit yield of okra in pot and field experiments with and without application of diluted cowdung It implied that in both pot and field experiments, okra cultivar was responsive to mycorrhizal incolation in the absence of diluted cow dung with respect to fresh fruit weights. It is essential to find the possible level at which cowdung application in diluted form will be able to synergise with mycorrhizal application for sustainable okra production in an infertile soil.

Keywords: Mycofertigation, okra, infertile soil, fresh fruit yield, diluted cowdung, ycorrhiza