Effect of Organic Manure on the Growth and Yield of Bambara Groundnut in a Derived Savannah Zone of Nigeria

Abstract

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean) is a leguminous crop widely grown across Sub-Saraha Africa due to its nutritional and economic benefits. The study evaluated the effect of poultry and goat manure on various growth parameters, and was conducted using the statistical method; Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to access the significance of the effects of manure types and rate on the plant growth and plant yield parameters. The experiment was a 2 x 4 factorial experiment comprising two main treatments: manure types (goat manure and poultry manure) and the application rates of 0t/ha, 5t/ha, 10t/ha and 15t/ha. This resulted to (8) treatment combinations using RCBD (Randomized Complete Block Design) and the experiment was replicated four (4) times. For mean separation, Least Significant Difference (LSD) test was applied to identify the difference between treatment groups when ANOVA showed significant effects. The results for growth parameter showed that a 5-ton manure rate consistently resulted in the lowest growth, while the 10-ton manure rate generally yielded the highest plant (7.61 cm), plant width (2.823 cm), leaf number (114.1), number of stems (38.05), plant height (34.82 cm), and stem girth (8.82 cm) for growth parameters. The result for yield parameter showed that the effect of poultry and goat manure on fresh and dry fodder weights, pod number and weight showed that 15-ton manure rate resulted in the highest fresh fodder weight (80.6 g) and dry fodder weight (68.1 g), while the 10-ton manure rate had the lowest fresh fodder weight (72.5 g) and dry fodder weight (64.7 g); overall. The study recommends applying a 10- ton manure rate for optimal growth and a 15- ton manure rate for maximizing Bambara groundnut yield.