EFFECT OF VERMICOMPOST AND MINERAL FERTILIZER ON ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF GARLIC (Allium sativum L.), IN HARAMAYA, EASTERN ETHIOPIA
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is an important vegetable crop in Ethiopia. The yield of the crop is often constrained bylow and unbalanced nutrient supply in the soil. This study assessed the response of garlic variety (Chelenko I) tovermicompost and mineral Nitrogen (N) fertilizer application on growth and bulb yield of the crop during the2016/2017 rainy season in Haramaya University main campus, Ethiopia. The treatment consist of a factorialcombination of four levels of vermicompost (0, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 tha-1) and five levels of mineral N fertilizer (0, 52.5,80, 105 and 130 kg N ha-1), were laid out in a randomized complete block design under a factorial arrangementand replicated three times. Results revealed early maturity (130.48 days) at no fertilizer application, while latematurity (135.50 days) was with application of 7.5tha-1 of vermicompost. Significant (P < 0.05) maximum cloveweight (2.71g/clove), and marketable bulb yield (12.32tha-1), were recorded at the rate of 7.5tha-1 ofvermicompost, followed by lower dose of mineral N fertilizer. Also, leaf number (13.33) was recorded atcombined application of maximum rate of vermicompost (7.5tha-1) and mineral N fertilizer (130kgha-1). Due tocombined application of vermicompost (7.5tha-1) and mineral N fertilizer (130kgha-1), unmarketable bulb yieldwas reduced by 41.03% over the control. The highest net benefit was estimated due to the maximum marketablebulb yield of garlic obtained along with application of 7.5tha-1 of vermicompost and 130kgha-1 of mineral Nfertilizer. Therefore, these rates could be considered in the production of garlic in the study area.
Source: Nigeria Agricultural Journal
Author: Tamiru Kenea Fikru
Institution: Dilla University
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3182203928