PLANT HEIGHT AND FRUIT YIELD OF OKRA AS AFFECTED BY FIELD APPLICATION OF FERTILIZER AND BENLATE IN BIDA, NIGERIA

Abstract

A factorial experiment involving variety, fertilizer application and fungicide treatment in randomised complete block design was carried out at the Biological garden of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida in the planting seasons of 1999 and 2000 to determine the effects of NPK fertilizer and field benlate application on the growth (height) and fruit yield of four okra varieties. Three seeds/hole were planted on manually prepared ridges at a spacing of 0.30m X 1.00m. Fertilizer was applied as 200Kg/ha NPK (20-10-10) at two weeks after planting (WAP) and 50Kg/ha Urea (46-0-0) top-dressed at 50% flowering. BENLATE at the rate of 20g/20l (w/v) of water was applied at 5WAP and then repeated forth nightly until the experiment was terminated. By the 6,8 and 10 weeks after planting (WAP) the height of ten tagged plants/plot were determined. The numbers of fruits harvested from these tagged plants were also recorded. The results showed that plant height was positively affected by field application of either or both fertilizer and benlate over the control plants. Also, plants treated with both fertilizer and BENLATE had a tendency for more continuous growth and significantly higher fruit yield than those treated differently. This brings higher economic returns to the farmer. [Niger Agric. J. 34 (2003): 74-80]