Growth Medium and Soil Amendment Influence on Seedling Growth Responses of African Star Apple (Chrysophyllum albidum)

摘要

African Star Apple (Chrysophyllum albidum) classified as a forest food treewith economic potentials requires domestication attention for improvedproductivity. A study conducted in Abeokuta, Nigeria in 2017 using oneyear old C. albidum seedlings determined the plant’s growth responseswhen cultivated using different growth medium and soil amendmentmethods. The 3 x 9 factorial experiment was arranged in a CompletelyRandomized Design (CRD) at three replications. Three textural soil types(sandy, loamy and clayey soils) were evaluated using nine soil amendmentmethods (5, 10, 15t/ha poultry manure (PM) and 150, 250 and 500kg/haNPK, and integrated amendment methods using 5t/ha PM+150kg/ha NPKand 10t/ha PM+150kg/ha NPK), and the un-amended plot as control. Theresults showed that plants in loamy and clayey soils had more leaves comparedto those in sandy soil only at 74WAS. C. albidum had most numerousleaves with 150 kg/ha, taller plant and wider canopy with 250 kg/ha, andthicker girth with all NPK rates compared to control, manure rates and integratedfertilizers. The plants with loamy soil had highest CPC, Ash C, FC,starch and sugar. Plants with inorganic fertilizers and integrated fertilizershad higher FW and DW compared to manure rates. The 5 t/ha manure rateand the 250 kg/ha NPK produced plants with high sugar content and werelowest in starch content compared to other applied rates. In conclusion, C.albidum from juvenile to vegetative stage with proper management can begrown on the different soil types while the 150 kg/ha NPK fertilizer rateappeared as optimum for the plant growth.