Assessment of Combined Effects of Human Faeces and Mineral Fertilizers on the Behavior of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) Cultivated in Lubumbashi, DR Congo

Abstract

Improving soil fertility through organic fertilizers application has become a major factor that has enabled the world to feed billions of people. However, the required quantities of organic material are enormous, so it becomes necessary to combine different types of fertilizers to feed plants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects generated by the integration of human faeces to mineral fertilizers by bringing them to okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) crop. The trial was installed according to a 4×3 factorialdevice. Treatments in three repetitions, included four doses of human faeces (0, 1.75, 3.5 and 7 t haG 1 ) and three doses of inorganic fertilizers (0 and 150 kg NPK+100 kg urea as mineral fertilizer popularized and 75 kg NPK+50 kg urea as mineral fertilizer popularized halved). These fertilizers were applied alone or in combination and were compared to an unfertilized control. Obtained results showed that emergence rate increases when human faeces are made at low doses. As for the vegetative parameters, the results are similar regardless of the type or dose of made fertilizers. Without mineral fertilizers the different doses of human faeces generate low yields of okra. The application of 7 t haG 1 of human faeces combined with popularized mineral fertilizer dose halved (75 kg NPK+50 kg urea) afforded the highest yield (7.3 t haG 1 or an increase of 348% compared to unfertilized control treatment). In the present study, where access to chemical fertilizers is very limited, these results allow to save a half of usually made mineral fertilizer dose for the cultivation of okra.