Effect of Organic Soil Amendments on Growth and Yield of Amaranthus viridis L.

Abstract

A pot experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of some soil organic amendments on the growth and yield of Amaranthus viridis L. in Ifite-Ogwari, Ayamelum L.G.A. of Anambra State. The study was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with seven treatments and replicated three times. The treatments were Topsoil (T1) , Rice husk +Topsoil (T2), Rice Straw + Rice Husk + Topsoil (T3), Rice Straw + Topsoil (T4), Rice Straw + Topsoil + Poultry Manure (T5), Rice Straw + Rice Husk + Topsoil + Poultry Manure (T6), Rice Husk + Topsoil+ Poultry Manure(T7). Each soil amendment combination were mixed in the ratio of 3:2:1; where Topsoil represented the 3 parts, Rice straw and/or Rice husk represented the 2 parts, and Poultry manure represented the 1 part. In situations where rice husk and rice straw were mixed, the two parts was in the ratio of 1:1 for each of the rice residues. The treatments were separated using the least significant difference (LSD) at 5% probability level. The addition of organic soil amendments, particularly those involving poultry manure (PM), had positive effects on the growth parameters and yield of A. viridis. The RS+TS+PM treatment consistently showed promising results in terms of plant height, leaf number, leaf area, stem girth, and leaf yield. Since the RS+TS+PM treatment gave the highest yield, it is recommended that farmers use this mixture for growing A. viridis due to its nutrient content.