Integrated application of wood ash and inorganic fertilizer sources on vegetative growth, fruit yield, and nutrient quality of Solanum aethiopicum L.

Authors

• Nneka Angela Okoli * ¹
• Ifeoma Chiazokam Nwafor ¹
• Martina Ihegboro ¹
• Lilian Chinaenye Emma-Okafor ²
• Boniface Okechukwu Nwosu ¹
• Charles Uche Onwuchekwa ¹
• Innocent Izuchukwu Ibeawuchi ²

1. Department of Crop Science and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
2. Department of Crop Science and Technology, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal Uni-versity of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria

Abstract

Purpose: Wood ash is an important alternative source of inorganic potassium especially for farmers in areas with acidic soils.
Method: The experiment was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, treatments consisted of the application of inorganic fertilizer sources (0 kgha^-1, 130.44 kgha^-1 of urea, and 300 kgha^-1 of NPK of 20:10:10) and wood ash (0 tha^-1, 5 tha^-1 , and 10 tha^-1) to garden egg seedlings. In the second phase of the experiment, garden eggfruits were analyzed for nutrient contents.
Results: Significant (p≤0.05) fruit yield followed this order: 10 tha^-1 of wood ash > control > 5 tha^-1 of wood ash. Inorganic fertilizer sources effect on fruit yield followed this sequence:  300 kgha^-1 of NPK 20:10:10 > 130.44 kgha^-1 of urea > control. The interaction of 10 tha^-1 of wood ash and 300 kgha^-1 of NPK 20:10:10 produced the highest fruit yield (57 ± 0.50 tha^-1). A combined application of 300 kgha^-1 of NPK and 5 tha^-1 of wood ash showed a greater improvement in vitamin C while an integrated application of 130.44 kgha^-1 of urea and 10 tha^-1 of wood ash increased vitamin A contents of garden egg.
Conclusion: Integration of 10 tha^-1 of wood ash and 300 kgha^-1 of NPK 20:10:10 positively improved the growth and yield of the garden egg. The addition of a lower rate of wood ash to NPK fertilizer and a higher rate of wood ash to urea significantly improved the nutrient contents of garden eggs.

Highlights

● Wood ash is an effective organic lime used in soil amendment of acidic soils.

● Fruit yield in garden eggs showed a linear increase with increasing rates of wood ash.

● Application of NPK fertilizer had superior fruit yield and quality to urea fertilizer.

● Potassium in wood ash and NPK fertilizer accounts for high fruit yield in garden egg.

●Integration of wood ash and inorganic fertilizers produced higher nutrient contents.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

• Fruit vegetable
• Organic lime
• Soil Amendment
• Potassium
• Acidic soil