Passion fruit is valued for its intense flavoured juice used in juice mixes.
Though cultivation is prominent in many tropical regions, it is a new crop
in southwest Nigeria regardless of the favourable ecology. New crop
establishment depends on meeting the nutrient requirements, among other
growth resources. Two experiments were conducted at Abeokuta to evaluate the
optimum rate(s) of Sunshine Organic Fertilizer? (SOF) required for the
growth of the seedlings. The SOF was applied at 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and
2.5 t/ha in experiments arranged in Completely Randomised Design (CRD)
replicated thrice. The application of SOF improved the growth of seedlings,
but a rate above 2.0 t/ha resulted in depressed growth. In experiment 1, the
application of 0.5 t/ha SOF gave the highest values of 152.7 cm, 19 mm and
19.0 for vine length, vine diameter and the number of leaves. In experiment
2, the number of leaves was the highest at 1.0 t/ha though similar to 1.5
and 2.0 t/ha. The application of SOF had a significant influence on the
seedling leaf area (LA) in the experiments. The largest LA occurred in
seedlings treated with SOF at 2.0 and 2.5 t/ha. Dry weight and foliar
nutrient uptakes in both experiments were significantly influenced by SOF
application. The application of SOF at 0.5 t/ha in experiment 1 resulted in
higher N uptake, but the reverse was the trend in experiment 2, with higher
nutrient uptakes at 1.5-2.5 t/ha SOF. Conclusively, an optimal rate of 2.0
t/ha had positive effects on seedling response.
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