Effects of Different Potting Media on the Germination and Early Growth of Newbouldia laevis. (P. Beauv.) Seem.

Abstract

The research was conducted at the screen house of the Department of Forestry and Wildlife, Faculty of Agriculture, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra state, Nigeria. The study was carried out from January to May 2021 to access the effect of different potting media on germination and early growth of Newbodia laevis.
 Treatments were laid out in a Complete Randomize Design (CRD) with four replications. The germination parameters measured were days to germination, germination period and germination percentage while the growth variables measured includes plant height, collar diameter and number of leaves. The potting media used were T1 (topsoil and cow dung), T2 (topsoil and goat dung), T3 (topsoil and poultry dropping), T4(topsoil and sawdust), T5 control (topsoil only).
 Data collected were subjected to R software, using the following packages: plyr, car, gvlma, one-way tests, user friendly science, ggplot. Results obtained indicated that T1 had the highest germination percentage (85%) followed by T2 and T3 with germination percentages of 82% and 80% respectively. T4 had the poorest germination percentage (60%). The results also showed that the treatment had direct effect on the seedling early growth; the highest mean collar girth was observed in T1 with 1.85 cm while the least was observed in T4 with 0.72 m. The highest mean height was observed in T2 with 22.15 cm while the least was observed in T4 with 7.23 cm. Also, the highest mean number of leaves was observed in T2 with 21leaves while the least was observed in T4 with 7 leaves. Based on the findings of these experiments it is recommended that for maximum growth and optimum germination of Newbodia laevis, T1 and T2 should be used, sawdust had poor germination and growth performance and thereby is not recommended for the early growth of Newbodia laevis seedlings.

Evaluating the Effects of Biochar and Organic Soil Amendments on Seedling Development of Annona muricata. Linn

“…This supports the research done by Marjenah et al [26] that sawdust influenced the plant height, stem diameter, and leaf production of two species of Dipterocarps seedlings. This contradicts the findings of Anozie et al [25] who recorded low collar diameter with Newbouldia laevis in treatment with sawdust.…”

“…This could be due to the lack of essential nutrients in the soil necessary for plant growth. Khan et al [24] and Anozie et al [25] found out in their studies that adding organic manure to potting media is important because it supplies essential nutrients required by seedlings for optimum growth. This however contradicts the work of Marjenah et al [26] on two species of Dipterocarps seedlings which had increase in plant height in treatment with only topsoil.…”

Early Growth Response of Annona muricata (L.) Seedlings to Different Potting Media

“…This region of southeastern Nigeria has a tropical climate marked by distinct wet and dry seasons. Average precipitation is high between 1828 mm -2002 mm per year, with a mean annual temperature of ~27°C [19], [20].…”

“…A potting medium is a mixture of various raw materials designed to serve as a substrate to support the roots of cultivated plants in the pots and/or containers. It is a combination of organic and inorganic materials to meet the desired chemical and physical needs of plants to enhance its growth and development [16]. A good potting mixture offers the plant a base for stability, high water capability, and good nutrient uptake, which ensures proper establishment, growth, and yield.…”

“…One potential solution is identifying optimal potting media compositions to promote vigorous early growth of nursery seedlings. Previous studies have tested the effects of different potting mixtures on tropical fruit trees, but information specific to A. muricata is lacking [16], [17].…”