EFFECTS OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZERS ON THE GROWTH AND FRUIT YIELD OF WATERMELON (Citrullus lanatus LINN.) IN SOUTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA, NIGERIA
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Date
2021-05-31
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Abuja
Abstract
The effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers on the performance water melon
(Citrullus lanatus Linn.) were determined during the 2018 cropping seasons at the Teaching and
Research Farm of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, and Gwagwalada
(Kutunku),Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The experiment was a 4 x 4 factorial laid out in
Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD).). Four levels of N and P fertilizer at 0, 30, 60, and
90kg/ha and 0, 10, 20, and 30 kg/ha were combined into a total of 16 treatments combinations.
The variety used was sugar baby early maturing (70 to 75 days after planting). The different levels
of fertilizer were applied at three weeks after planting. Soil characterization was also done on the
study areas. Data were collected on growth and yield parameters. The results show that vine
length and number of lateral branches were signicantly inuenced by N and P application in the
study area. More numbers of marketable fruits were obtained from plots treated with higher N and
P as compared with those treated with lower N and P from both sites. At higher N and P
application, the seed yield in Federal University of Technology, Minna farm and Gwagwalada
(Kutunku) were all better than the control. Application of 90kg N/ha and 30kg/ha P gave the
highest yield of seed of 0.9 and 0.8 tons at Federal University of Technology, Minna farm and
Gwagwalada (Kutunku) respectively. Application of fertilizers had signicant elongation of vine,
produces more lateral branches, signicantly higher marketable fruits and increased seed yield
and general performance of watermelon.The signicant edge in performance of Gwagwalada
over Minna in growth parameter could be attributed to the rainfall distribution in 2018 cropping
season