- Title
- The effect of limestone ammonium nitrate and chicken manure fertilizers on growth, yield and quality of two cabbage cultivators
- Creator
- Nongogo Chumani
- Subject
- Cabbage -- South Africa
- Subject
- Field crops -- Nutrition -- South Africa
- Subject
- fertilizers
- Date Issued
- 2022-12
- Date
- 2022-12
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59922
- Identifier
- vital:62695
- Description
- Cabbage is a well-known and popular crop in South Africa. As a highly nutritious leafy green vegetable, it is produced and sold to a variety of markets, from formal markets to hawkers, for human consumption and as animal feed. The cabbage crop contributes positively to food security, health, and households’ financial wellbeing. As a crop, cabbage is known to be a heavy feeder due to its high nutritional requirements (in terms of fertiliser) particularly nitrogen. This high requirement can be supplied by either synthetic or by organic fertilisers in the form of animal manures. However, fertiliser has proven to be a challenge due to its high costs, as its prices increase rapidly each year. The current study aimed to determine the most effective fertilisation method for the growth, quality, and yield of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). Two fertiliser types (chicken manure and limestone ammonium nitrate) were applied, and the treatments were repeated five times over two planting sessions on two cultivars, Grandslam and Empowa, at concentrations of 0%, 100% and 150%. A control for each treatment / cultivar was also grown. The parameters plant height, head diameter, pests and disease development, quality and dry mass were measured to determine the effect on growth, yield, and quality of the cabbage crop. From each planting, a total of 60 cabbages served as specimens for data collection purposes. The research trial was conducted in open field and laid out in a split-plot block method. The cultivar was allocated to the main plot, while the fertiliser treatments served as the sub-plots. The study was carried out for a period of six months, which allowed for data collection to be done in two different growing conditions. Planting was done manually by hand in planting bags, and washed river sand was used as a substrate (growing medium). The data collected during the experiment was analysed by means of statistical data analysis software STATISTICA and the methods applied were a three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The analysis of variance was performed at a significance level of p as a means to determine a correlation of relationships for all set parameters (variables) for both cultivars, treatments and plantings. The results of the study showed that the two fertiliser types, namely limestone ammonium nitrate (LAN) and chicken manure, both had a significant effect (p on plant height, head diameter, dry mass. Also, the pest and disease development and quality of cabbage were significantly influenced by the fertiliser types and season (climate). The interactive effect of cultivar and fertiliser was statistically significant. Empowa showed better results on chicken manure compared to LAN. In the case of Grandslam, however, no significant fertiliser effect was observed. The study also showed that fertilisation with a fertiliser that contains high nitrogen (N) content promotes pest and disease incidence. Increasing N application rate resulted into an increase of pest and disease incidence. The change of season, which promotes different growth conditions (in terms of temperature, water requirements, pests, and diseases) for the plants was found to have had an influence on the study results. Lasty, it was observed that chicken manure fertiliser yields a cabbage with a good internal and external quality compared to limestone ammonium nitrate fertiliser. Lastly, when considering all treatment rates applied, the recommended quantity of 100% (in both chicken manure and LAN) yielded favorable results.
- Description
- Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2022
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (129 pages)
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Science
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Nongogo, CR Dec 2022.pdf | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |