Effects of amendments on growth, yield and chemical composition of black nightshade in suburban areas of Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract

Efficient soil fertility management in urban areas is a big challenge for food production in sub-Saharan cities. This study assesses the effect of using organic fertilizers on growth parameters, leaf yield and chemical composition of black nightshade. This experiment was carried out at the Nkolbisson market garden. The experimental set-up involved four treatments: the control without fertilizer (T1), 195 kg of N / ha of chemical fertilizer (T2), 6.67 t / ha of chicken droppings (T3) and 6.67 t / ha of cow dung (T4). Agronomic growth parameters were measured. Very significant differences (P <0.05) were observed between the treatments. The general trend has shown an increase in the majority of the parameters measured for fertilizer treatments. The highest values were obtained for T4. The classification of treatments according to their positive influence on leaf yield is T4 (8.77 ± 1.15) t/ha> T3 (6.38 ± 0.51) t/ha = T2 (5.88 ± 1.06) t/ha> T1 (4.09 ± 1.07) t/ha. The use of organic fertilizers produced in the city can provide quantities of nutrients necessary for the production of black leafy vegetables and therefore improve their yields.