POULTRY MANURE'S IMPACT ON GROUNDNUT (Arachis hypogea L.) GROWTH, YIELD, AND BEACH SAND IN ABAKALIKI, SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was conducted at the screen house of the Department of Crop Science and Landscape Management at Ebonyi State University in Abakaliki to investigate the impact of chicken manure on beach sand, groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) growth, and yield. The beach sand was gathered from Ogoja Local Government Area's Nkpana Beach. The test crop was groundnuts of the Samnut 22 type. Five treatments and four replications were used in the fully randomized design (CRD) marijuana trial. The rates at which the chicken manure was administered were 5, 10, 15, and 20 tha-1, and the control was equal to 4.5, 9.0, 13.5, and 18 g pot-1 to 7.0 kg of beach sand in each pot. Two groundnut seeds were put in each pot, and the seeds were subsequently reduced to one stand. The gathered data was statistically analyzed. The bulk density, total porosity, and gravimetric moisture content at 20 tha-1 of chicken dung were all considerably greater (p<0.05) than the control. In comparison to the control, pots treated with 20tha-1 had considerably (P<0.05) higher soil pH, accessible P, CEC, OC, and exchangeable acidity of the beach sand. The available phosphorus improved in the following order: 0 t ha-1 < 5 t ha-1 < 10 t ha-1 < 15 t ha-1 < 20 t ha-1. Plant height increased in the following order: 20 t ha-1 > 15 t ha-1 > 10 t ha-1 > 5 t ha-1 > C, with corresponding percentage increases of 38%, 25%, 19%, and 6%. In contrast, grain yield increased in the following order: C < 5tha-1 < 10tha-1 = 15 tha-1 < 20tha-1, or 0.4, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9 tha-1. At 20tha-1 of the modification, the highest yield parameters were found. Various PM rates, particularly 20t ha-1, have been shown to be better at improving beach sand quality; nonetheless, 15t ha-1 is advised for increased production without sacrificing environmental health.