Effect of Organic Manure and Potting Media on Germination and Early Growth of <i>Eucalyptus torelliana</i> F. Muell

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out to determine the growth response of Eucalyptus torelliana F. Muell. to organic manure and potting media. The experiment was conducted within the Nursery site of the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management Nasarawa State University Lafia. Sampled seedlings were systematically numbered and tagged for easy identification and enumeration, the experiment was laid out in a 4×2×5 factorial experiment in a randomized completely block design (RCBD). Analysis of variance was used to show the comparative performance of each the treatment and Duncan multiple range test (DMRT) to locate where the significant differences occur among the means. The plant variables assessed are; collar girth, plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width and leaf area. The result of growth with respect to treatment revealed that poultry dropping performed better with mean value of 31.26±8.78 in plant height, 2.02±0.99 in collar girth, 10.42±2.38 leaf count, 7.04±0.91, in leaf length 4.26±0.88 in leaf width and 30.68±9.30 for leaf area. It was further revelled that big size polythene pot (16 by 10cm) with mean value (plant height 29.86±9.51, collar girth 2.05±1.14, leaf count 10.26±2.82, leaf length 7.25±1.32, leaf width 4.56±0.92 and leaf area 33.99±11.36) recorded the highest and best germination. It is recommended that big size pot and poultry droppings should be adopted in raising Eucalyptus torelliana F. Muell.

Early Germination and Growth Trial of <i>Anogeissus leiocarpus </i>Seeds Sourced from Three Locations in Nigeria

“…This study is not in line with the report of Rotowa, and Adeagbo, who recorded a significant effect on the vegetative growth of Gmelina arborea seedlings due to the application of organic fertilizer [30]. Rotowa O. J. et al, [31] in a study carried out on Eucalyptus torelliana asserted that poultry manure positively increases plant height more than other sources of manure. It was earlier reported that nitrogenous fertilizers influenced tree growth of tree seedlings, especially tree height, which could favour vegetative growth [32][33][34][35].…”