American Journal of Life Sciences 2023; 11(4): 50-55 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ajls doi: 10.11648/j.ajls.20231104.11 ISSN: 2328-5702 (Print); ISSN: 2328-5737 (Online)
Effect of Application of Palm Bunch Ash on the Growth and Yield of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) in a Pineapple Orchard Udounang Patrick Ibanga1, *, Umoh Florence Otobong2, Essien Otobong Anthony2, Umoh Emediong Effiong1, Ndaeyo Nya Udo3 1
Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden, Nigeria
2
Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden, Nigeria
3
Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria
Email address: *
Corresponding author
To cite this article: Udounang Patrick Ibanga, Umoh Florence Otobong, Essien Otobong Anthony, Umoh Emediong Effiong, Ndaeyo Nya Udo. Effect of Application of Palm Bunch Ash on the Growth and Yield of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) in a Pineapple Orchard. American Journal of Life Sciences. Vol. 11, No. 4, 2023, pp. 50-55. doi: 10.11648/j.ajls.20231104.11 Received: June 6, 2022; Accepted: June 30, 2022; Published: July 6, 2023
Abstract: The experiment was conducted at Akwa Ibom State University Teaching and Research Farm Obio Akpa Campus during the 2020 first planting season to evaluate the effect of application of palm bunch ash on the growth and yield of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) in an established pineapple orchard. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The treatments were five (5) different rates of Oil palm bunch ash - 1.0ton/ha, 2.0tons/ha, 3.0tons/ha, 4.0tons/ha and a control (0ton/ha - no fertilizer). Data collected for the growth and yield parameters were subjected to analysis of variance. Significant means were compared with least significant differences (P<0.05) at 5% probability level. Result showed significant differences (P<0.005) in all the growth parameters (plant height, number of leaves, stem girth, leaf area) and yield parameters (number of fruits/ plant, length of fruits/plant, circumference of fruits/plant, yield of fruits/plant). Treatment with 4.0tons/ha palm bunch ash produced higher values of plant at 2, 4 6, 8 weeks after planting, while the lowest values of plant height was recorded with 1.0ton/ha treatment at 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks after planting compared to the control treatment. The treatment with 4.0tons/ha oil palm bunch ash also had significantly values of number of leaves, stem girth and leaf area at 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks after planting. The least values of stem girth and leaf area at 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks after planting were recorded with 1.0ton/ha treatment. Higher values of number of fruits/plant (17.30), length of fruits/plant (12.50cm), circumference of fruits/plant (15.75cm) and fruit yield (20.13t/ha) were obtained with 4.0tons/ha oil palm bunch ash treatment while least values of number of fruits/plant (4.77), length of fruits/plant (10.43cm), circumference of fruits/plant (13.11cm) and fruit yield (5.42t/ha) were recorded with 1.0t/ha compared with the control treatment.
Keywords: Eggplant, Palm Bunch Ash, Pineapple Orchard
1. Introduction Solanum melongena L. (known as eggplant in the United States and aubergine in France and England) is one of the few cultivated solanaceous species originating from the Old World. It is known as brinjal in its home country, India, where it was domesticated long ago and where the greatest diversity is found. According to Trujilo [32], the plant
species is believed to have originated in India, where it continues to grow wild and has been cultivated in Southern and Eastern Asia since prehistory [22]. The first known written record of the plant was found in Qimi Yaoshu, an ancient Chinese agricultural monograph completed in 544 C. E. [11]. The numerous Arabic and North African names for it, along with the lack of the ancient Greek and Roman names, indicated that it was grown throughout the Mediterranean area by the Arabs in the early Middle Ages, who introduced