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Journal of Sustainable
Envi
r
onmental Management. Vol. 10, 4
6-
62
, 2018
. ISSN: 2141
-
0267
www.awife.org.ng/publications/jsem.html
46
Evaluation of
Pterocarpus mildbraedii
.
Harm
Performance
under Different Growth
Conditions
*1
Adeyemi, A.A. and
2
Dike, I.M.
1Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin
,
Ilorin, Nigeria
2
Department of Forestry and
Wildlife, Federal University of Technology, Owerri
, Nigeria
*corresponding Author: adeyemi.aa@unilorin.edu.ng
Abstract
Growth response
of
P
terocarpus
mildbraedii
under different sowing media and fertilizer
applications
w
as
evaluated
. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design
(CRD). Forty-eight trays were filled with each of the sowing media (garden topsoil,
river
-
sand
and sawdust). Each of the trays was sown with ten seeds making 480 seeds per medium. Five
weeks after germination, seedlings were pricked-out and potted using 16 cm-poly pots. The
seedlings were allowed to grow for another six weeks. Thereafter, they were transplanted to the
field, at 5 m
espacement
. After the seedlings were established in the field, manures were applied
on
all the seedlings under each of the sowing media using
two
manures
(i.e. Poultry droppings
and
cow dung) as well as
NPK
(15: 15: 15) with zero-fertilizer application as the control. Data
were collected on germination and early seedling growth parameters
ei
ght weeks after. Data
analysis involved descriptive statistics,
one
-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-test and
regression analysis for establishing relationship among growth parameters. F
ollow
-up test was
carried out on significant result
.
Pterocarpus mi
ldbraedii
germinated in 3 to 17 days. The
germinations peaked on the 4
th
day
in
river
-sand and topsoil, and on the 11
th
day in sawdust.
Germination was
highest
in
sawdust
(
43.3%
)
and
least
in
topsoil
(
37.1%
). The results showed
that leaf number were not significantly different among the
sowing
media (P > 0.05) with an
average of 4 leaves per plant. However, there were significant differences in collar diameters
,
seedling heights and leaf areas among the treatments (P < 0.05) with highest mean values
in
sawd
ust. Poultry droppings improved seedling height growth by 2.50 cm, 1.75 cm
and
1.2
cm in
river
-sand, sawdust and topsoil, respectively
after
eight weeks of planting. The best height
prediction equation for P. mildbraedii
seedling was
Ht = 7.77 + 6.25CD – 0.0517LA + 0.373LN
R2 = 0.59;
RMSE
=
1.679
). Height was the best predictor of collar diameter
as
in
CD = 0.258 +
0.0765Ht
(R
2
= 0.51;
RMSE
=
0.192
)
.
T
here
were no
suitable
predictors
for leaf area and leaf
number
.
Keywords:
Early g
rowth,
increment,
sowing
media,
manure
,
parameter prediction
Journal of Sustainable
Envi
r
onmental Management. Vol. 10, 4
6-
62
, 2018
. ISSN: 2141
-
0267
www.awife.org.ng/publications/jsem.html
47
Introduction
Pterocarpus mildbraedii, locally known as Oha ojii
in
eastern Nigeria, belongs to the family
Papilionoideae
(Keay, 1989). It is a semi-deciduous tree with a rounded crown, and can grow
15
-25 m tall, or a little more. The long straight bole can be up to 60 cm in diameter. It occurs in
lowland rainforest, dry evergreen and riverine forests, up to 1250 m altitude, in Sierra Leone,
Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania (Bosch, 2004). The leaf
of
P. mildbraedii
is
one of the vegetables consumed widely in
Igbo
land of Nigeria
(Chinma
and
Igyor, 2007), and has been recommended for consistent use to prevent diabetics (Durugbo,
2013). It is a good source of beneficial chemicals
having
anti
oxidant, hypocholesterolemic,
chemoprotective and anti
-
bacterial properties (Ujowundu
et al
., 2010).
Due to intense consumption and deforestation, P. mildbraedii faces the risk of extinction
(Adelaja and Faidi, 2008). There is paucity of information on the development and growth
conditions of P. mildbraedii, since little effort has been made for domesticating the species
.
Nevertheless, no sustainable strategy has been adopted to ensure
its
co
nservation
. Sadly, most of
these
valuable non-timber species of w
hich
P. mildbraedii is a part are lost on annual basis
due
to high deforestation and urbanization
rates
(Adelaja and Faidi, 2008). Hence, having adequate
knowledge of the conditions for propagation of P.
mildbraedii
will enhance conservation of the
species
. It has been said that
manuring
hel
ps to improve the growth of seedlings so as to shorten
their period in the nursery as well as rotation length (Nwoboshi, 2000). It has also been noted
that the qualities of seedlings are usually influenced by the composition of the growing media
(Baiyeri, 2003; Baiyeri and Mbah, 2006). Therefore, it is imperative to ascertain the best
growing media and fertilizer application for P. mildbraedii in order to ensure optimum growth
performance.
Materials and Methods
This study was carried out at the Botanical Garden of the Department of Forestry and Wildlife
Technology, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria, centered on latitude 5o
29’0”N
and longitude 7o2’0”E in Imo state, s
outh
-eastern Nigeria. The mean annual rainfall is between
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. ISSN: 2141
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48
1,250
and 3000 mm with a relative humidity of up to
90%
(Adeyemi
et al., 2016). The
temperatures are between 25oC and 35oC (Adeyemi et al., 2016). The experiments w
ere
laid out
in a completely randomized design (CRD). The effects of s
owing
media and fertilizer treatm
ent
on seedling emergence and early growth were evaluated. One hundred and forty-four (144)
germination trays were used for the study. Each of the trays was sown with ten (10) seeds
making forty-eight (48) trays for each of the sowing media (i.e. topsoil, river sand and sawdust
of
Garcinia kola
) and 1440 seeds in all.
Data Collection
The germination trays were visited on daily basis to ascertain the time and period of seedling
emergence. The number of seeds germinated was recorded daily. Growth parameters such as
seedling height, collar diameter,
number of leaves
and leaf area, were assessed, three weeks after
seedling emergence. The seedling height was measured from the medium level (i.e. at the basal
position)
to the tip of plan
t. Every visible leaf on the plant was counted; including the tips of new
leaves just beginning to emerge. Leaf area meter was used for leaf area measurement. The collar
diameter was measured using vernier caliper.
Five weeks after germination, seedlings were pricked out into 16 cm (height) × 9 cm ( diameter)
poly
thene
pots with due considerations to the sowing media. The seedlings were allowed to
stabilize in the poly
thene
pots for four weeks before transplanting to the field
, at
5 m
espacement
(i.e. 5 m x 5 m spacing) and 15 cm depth, for fertilizer applications. After the seedlings
established in the field, fertilizer application was carried out on all the seedlings under each of
sowing media using t
wo
manures (
i.e.
poultry droppin
gs
and
cow dung) as well
as
NPK
(inorganic fertilizer) with zero-fertilizer application as control. Eight weeks after the initial
measurement
,
seedling growth parameters were re-
measured
on
all the seedlings under different
sowing media and fertilizer applications.
Journal of Sustainable
Envi
r
onmental Management. Vol. 10, 4
6-
62
, 2018
. ISSN: 2141
-
0267
www.awife.org.ng/publications/jsem.html
49
Statistical An
alysis
Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics
such as percentages and graphs
, one
-
way analysis
of variance (ANOVA) and simple linear regression.
R
esults
and Discussion
Table 1
presents
P. mildbraedii germination rates under the three sowing media
.
T
he
germination
s
occurred
between the 3 and 17 days after sowing
with
the highest germination
percentage recorded under sawdust,
having
43.3% with least (37.1%) in topsoil. For river-
sand
and topsoil, the germination peaked on the 4
th
day after sowing, while highest germination was
recorded in sawdust on the 11
th
day after sowing. With respect to the number of days expended
for seedling to emerge, seeds sown in river-sand and topsoil started emerging in three (3) days
with average of 10 days in both cases. However, those sown in sawdust started
emerged
in four
(4) days with an average germination days of 11
(Table 1)
.
Table 1: Germination rates of
P. milbraedii
under the three sowing media
Medium
Seeds
sown
No.
germinated
Germination
Average
days
Range
(day)
Peak
(day)
River
sand
480
204
42.2%
10
3
–
17
4
th
Sawdust
480
208
43.3%
10
4
–
17
11
th
Topsoil
480
178
37.1%
11
3
–
17
4
th
Figure 1
shows
the germination trends of P. milbraedii under different sowing media. The result
shows that the first seedling emergence occurred in topsoil and sterilized river-sand after 3 days
and the last was recorded
on
17
th
day. With regards to sawdust, the first germination occurred
after 4 days of sowing and the last was recorded on the
17
th
day after sowing. The result also
shows that the highest number of seedling emergence occurred in topsoil with 52 seedlings and
in sterilized river-sand with 36 seedlings, both on the 4
th
day. While the highest number of
seedling emergence occurred under sawdust on the 11
th
day of
sowing with 43
seedl
ings
.
Journal of Sustainable
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50
Figure 1:
Pterocarpus mildbraedii
emergence
under di
fferent sowing media
The result of ANOVA for the numbers of leaves showed that there was
no
significant differen
ce
among the three sowing media (P > 0.05). However, there were significant differences in mean
collar diameter, seedling height and leaf area among the treatments (P < 0.05). The highest mean
height growth (9.60 ± 1.65 cm) was recorded in sawdust and the
least
(8.38 ± 1.76 cm) was
recorded in river-sand. With respect
to
leaf areas, the highest mean (25.41 ± 8.20 cm2) w
as
recorded in sawdust and least (
18.00 ± 6.66 cm
2
) was in river
-
sand.
The result for seedling collar
diameter revealed that seedlings raised in sawdust produced the highest mean (1.09 ± 0.10 cm)
with t
he
least
(1.01 ± 0.15 cm) was in river-sand. The mean number of leaves of about 4/plant
was recorded in sawdust, river-sand and topsoil. Considering the height growth, values under
sawdust and topsoil were not significantly different. However, mean height value under river-
sand significantly differed from those of sawdust and topsoil
(Table
2)
.
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. ISSN: 2141
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Table
2
: Mean value
s
for seedling growth parameters under different sowing media
Media
Mean value
Height (cm)
Collar diameter
(cm)
Leaf area
(cm
2
)
Leaf number
River sand
8.38 ± 1.76
b
1.00 ± 0.15
b
18.00 ± 6.66
b
4.03 ± 0.77
a
Sawdust
9.60 ± 1.65
a
1.09 ± 0.10
a
25.41 ± 8.20
a
4.09 ± 0.84
a
Topsoil
9.45 ± 2.00
a
1.08 ± 0.10
a
23.94 ± 9.90
a
3.78 ± 1.09
a
LSD value
0.74
0.37
0.051
3.41
NB.: means with the same alphabet as superscript in the same column are not significantly
different
The result of ANOVA revealed that there were no significant differences in seedling heights,
collar diameter, leaf areas and number of leaves among the treatments (including the control)
si
nce P > 0.05. The results of the LSD test for the seedling growth parameters for different
fertilizer treatment under
sawdust are presented in Table
3
. The seedlings that received cow dung
were highest in height values (
23.85 ± 2.55 cm
)
with control having
the least mean height
growth
(21.50 ± 0.91). The result for collar diameter showed that NPK produced seedlings with the
highest mean collar diameter of 2.23 ± 0.21 cm, while the least mean collar diameter was
recorded in control
(
1.80 ± 0.23
).
The result
for leaf area revealed that seedlings treated with cow
dung had highest mean leaf area value of 30.63 ± 6.42 cm2, and the least mean seedling leaf area
was recorded under control (23.82 ± 5.12 cm2)
.
With respect to number of leaves,
poultry
dropping
s
produ
ced seedlings with the highest mean of about 10 leaves per plant. This was
followed by the seedlings treated with cow dung, NPK and control with a mean number
of leaves
of about 9 leaves per plant.
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52
Table
3:
Mean value
s
for
P. mildbraedii
seedlings growth p
arameters for different fertilizer
applications under sawdust
Fertilizer
Mean value
Height (cm)
Collar diameter
(cm)
Leaf area
(cm
2
)
Leaf number
Cow dung
23.85 ± 2.55
a
2.18 ± 0.28
a
30.63 ± 6.42
a
9.25 ± 1.90
a
NPK
22.75 ± 2.36
a
2.23 ± 0.20
a
27.20 ± 5.
37
a
9.00 ± 3.27
a
Poultry dropping
23.63 ± 1.19
a
2.05 ± 0.25
a
28.09 ± 5.03
a
9.50 ± 3.12
a
Control
21.50 ± 0.91
a
1.80 ± 0.25
a
23.82 ± 5.12
a
9.00 ± 1.15
a
LSD value
2.86
3.80
0.37
8.34
NB.: means with the same alphabet as superscript in the same column are not significantly
different
The results of ANOVA for seedling growth parameters under different fertilizer applications for
topsoil
revealed that there were no significant differences in mean seedling heights, collar
diameters and leaf areas among the trea
tments
(P > 0.05). However, the effects of different
manures were significant on number of leaves (P < 0.05). The results of the LSD test for the
seedling growth parameters for different fertilizer treatment under topsoil are presented in Table
7. The seedlings that received poultry droppings recorded highest mean seedling height (22.38 ±
1.83 cm
), with least value (
19.55 ± 1.64
) under control experiment
.
The result for collar diameter
showed that cow dung produced seedlings with the highest mean collar di
ameter
(2.03 ± 0.05
cm
) with least mean value in
control
(1.68 ± 0.22 cm). With respect to the leaf area,
seedlings
treated with poultry droppings had highest mean
(
31.74 ± 6.34 cm
2) with the least mean seedling
leaf area (25.57 ± 3.35 cm2) recorded under the control
.
The result for the number of leaves
showed that the poultry dropping and cow dung produced seedlings with the highest mean value
of about 9 leaves per plant. This was followed by the seedlings treated with NPK and control
with a mean number
of
leaves
of about 7 leaves per plant. The effects of cow dung and poultry
droppings on number
of leaves
were not significantly different. Likewise, NPK did not produce a
result significantly different from that of the control
(Table
4)
.
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Envi
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, 2018
. ISSN: 2141
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53
Table
4
:
Mean value
for
P. mildbraedii seedlings growth parameters for different fertilizer
applications under topsoil
Fertilizer
Mean value
Height (cm)
Collar diameter
(cm)
Leaf area
(cm
2
)
Leaf number
Cow dung
21.25 ± 1.71
a
2.03 ± 0.05
a
28.15 ± 2.69
a
9.00 ± 0.82
b
NPK 21.55 ± 1.91
a
1.83 ± 0.24
a
26.85 ± 2.40
a
6.75 ± 0.96
a
Poultry dropping
22.37 ± 1.83
a
2.00 ± 0.16
a
31.74 ± 6.34
a
9.25 ± 1.26
b
Control
19.55 ± 1.64
a
1.68 ± 0.22
a
25.57 ± 3.35
a
6.50 ± 1.29
a
LSD value
2.69
1.66
0.28
6.07
NB.: means with the same alphabet as superscript in the same column are not significantly
different
The results of ANOVA for seedling growth parameters under different fertilizer applications for
river
-
sand
revealed that there were no significant differences in mean seedling
heights,
leaf
number
s and leaf areas among the treatments (P > 0.05). However, there was
a
significant
difference in the mean collar diameter among the treatments (P < 0.05). The results of the LSD
test for the seedling growth parameters for different fertilizer treatme
nt
s under sawdust are
presented in Table 5. The seedlings that received poultry droppings recorded highest mean
seedling height
(
22.00 ± 1.59 cm
) with
control
as
the least
in
mean height
(
17.60 ± 1.27
cm)
.
The
result for collar diameter showed that poultry droppings produced seedlings with the highest
mean collar diameter of 1.90 ± 0.12 cm, with control as the
least
(1.53 ± 0.05
cm)
. With respect
to
leaf area, the result showed that seedlings treated with poultry droppings had highest mean
leaf area (
33.54
± 2.82 cm2) while the least mean value (24.50 ± 3.91 cm2) was recorded in the
control experiment. The result for the leaf number revealed that cow dung produced seedlings
with the highest mean value of about 10 leaves per plant with the least of 5 leaves per plant
recorded in control experiment. The effects of cow dung and NPK on collar diameter growth
were not significantly different from that of control. However, poultry dropping produced a
result significantly different from NPK, cow dung and control
(T
able
5)
.
Journal of Sustainable
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54
Table
5
:
Mean value
s
for
P. mildbraedii seedlings growth parameters for different fert
ilizer
applications under river
-
sand
Fertilizer
Mean value
Height (cm)
Collar diameter
(cm)
Leaf area
(cm
2
)
Leaf number
Cow dung
19.38 ± 0.75
a
1.65 ± 0.17
ab
28.52 ± 3.89
a
9.50 ± 3.11
a
NPK 20.10 ± 4.37
a
1.80 ± 0.25
ab
32.31 ± 6.33
a
8.50 ± 2.65
a
Poultry dropping
22.00 ± 1.59
a
1.90 ± 0.12
a
33.54 ± 2.82
a
9.25 ± 0.50
a
Control
17.60 ± 1.27
a
1.53 ± 0.05
ab
24.50 ± 3.91
a
5.00 ± 3.38
a
LSD value
3.69
4.02
0.25
6.77
NB.: means with the same alphabet as superscript in the same column are not significantly
different
The results of ANOVA for comparing seedling growth increment for the different fertilizer
application under the three growth media
showed
that
under river-sand, mean seedling height
was not significantly different among the treatment since P > 0.05. However, there was
significant difference in the mean collar diameter (P < 0.05). U
nder
the
sawdust, mean seedling
height
s
and collar diameters were not signi
ficantly different among the treatment (P > 0.05). The
result also showed that mean seedling heights and collar diameters were not significantly
different among the treatment (P > 0.05)
in
topsoil. The results mean separation (LSD test)
for
the seedling growth increment
under
different fertilizer treatments in river-sand, sawdust and
topsoil are presented in Table 1
1
. Under river sand, the seedlings that received poultry droppings
had
highest
the
mean height increment (2.70 ± 2.13 cm)
with
control
having th
e
least mean
height
increment (0.20 ± 0.14)
.
With respect to collar diameter, poultry droppings and NPK
produced seedlings with the highest mean collar diameter increment (0.38 ± 0.09 cm)
,
with least
value (0.10 ± 0.00 cm) recorded under the control experiment. For height, there was no
significant difference in means among the treatment. The effects of poultry droppings and NPK
on collar diameter were not significantly different. Likewise, cow dung did not produce a result
significantly different from that
of the control.
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For sawdust, the seedlings that received NPK had the highest mean seedling height increment
(
3.25 ± 2.06 cm
)
while the control
produced seedlings with
the least mean height
increment (1.38
± 1.11
cm)
. Collar diameter result showed that NPK produced seedlings with the highest mean
collar diameter increment of 0.48 ± 0.09 cm,
with
control
as the least (0.20 ± 0.08
cm)
. The
seedlings that received poultry droppings recorded highest mean seedling height increment o
f
2.50 ± 1.53 cm under topsoil
with
the control
as
the least
in
mean height
increment (
1.30 ± 0.42
)
.
The result for collar diameter showed that poultry droppings produced seedlings with the highest
mean collar diameter increment (0.25 ± 0.24 cm)
,
while the least value was recorded in
co
ntrol
experiment (
0.13 ± 0.05
cm) as shown in Table
6.
Table
6: Mean values
for
P. mildbraedii seedlings growth increments for different fertilizer
applications under
three
sowing media
Media
Parameter
Mean values
Cow dung
NPK
Poultry dropping
s
Control
LSD
R
iver
-
sand
Height
(cm)
1.45 ± 0.76
a
2.50 ± 1.63
a
2.70 ± 2.13
a
0.20 ± 0.14
a
2.11
CD
(cm)
0.18 ± 0.09
a
0.38 ± 0.09
b
0.38 ± 0.09
b
0.10 ± 0.00
a
0.13
Sawdust
Height
(cm)
2.85 ± 1.41
a
3.25 ± 2.06
a
3.13 ± 0.38
a
1.38 ± 1.11
a
2.09
CD
(cm)
0.43 ±
0.22
a
0.48 ± 0.09
a
0.33 ± 0.09
a
0.20 ± 0.08
a
0.21
Topsoil
Height
(cm)
2.48 ± 1.05
a
1.55 ± 0.48
a
2.50 ± 1.53
a
1.30 ± 0.42
a
1.92
CD
(cm)
0.23 ± 0.08
a
0.20 ± 0.08
a
0.25 ± 0.24
a
0.13 ± 0.05
a
0.20
NB.: means with the same alphabet as superscripts under each row are not si
gnificantly
different; CD
-
collar
diameter
Table
7
presents
linear relationships
(model
s) among P. mildbraedii
’s
growth parameters.
The
most suitable seedling height prediction equation is of the form:
Ht = 7.77 + 6.25CD
-
0.0517LA
+ 0.37
3LN
(R
2
= 0.59; RMSE = 1.679).
The best collar diameter model (model 6)
is
of the form
:
CD = 0.258 + 0.0765Ht (R2 = 0.51;
RMSE
=
0.192
). The result further showed that there was
neither suitable model for leaf area prediction nor leaf number
,
going by th
ei
r very low modeling
efficiencies
(R
2). However, all the models presented were significant (P < 0.05) as shown in
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Table 12. Table 13 present the result for the validations of the presented models. All the models
presented have low bias values, and there were no significant differences in the mean observed
and predicted values for the dependent variables (P > 0.05) in all cases (Table
8
).
Table
7
: Linear relationships among
P. mildbraedii
growth parameters in 5 months after
germination
SN
Model
R
2
RMSE
P
1
Ht = 8.70 + 6.67CD
0.51
1.795
0.000
2
Ht = 17.5 + 0.137LA
0.07
2.475
0.065
3
Ht = 16.9 + 0.524LN
0.24
2.231
0.000
4
Ht = 7.77 + 6.25CD
-
0.0517LA + 0.373LN
0.59
1.679
0.000
5
Ht = 9.18 + 7.18CD
-
0.0508LA
0.51
1.821
0.000
6
CD = 0.258 + 0.0765Ht
0.51
0.192
0.000
7
CD = 1.15 + 0.0261LA
0.24
0.237
0.000
8
CD = 1.53 + 0.0432LN
0.14
0.254
0.008
9
LA = 13.6 + 11.3CD
-
0.305Ht
0.25
4.460
0.002
NB.: a = 0.05; R
2
= coefficient of determination; RMSE = root mean square error; CD = collar
diameter; Ht = heigh
t; LA = leaf area; LN = leaf number
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Table
8
: Model validation results
SN
Model
Obs.
Pred.
Bias
t
P
1
Ht = 8.70 + 6.67CD
21.29
21.29
0.00
0.01
0.99
2
Ht = 17.5 + 0.137LA
21.29
21.32
-
0.03
0.06
0.96
3
Ht = 16.9 + 0.524LN
21.29
21.29
0.00
0.01
0.99
4 H
t = 7.77 + 6.25CD
-
0.0517LA + 0.373LN
21.29
21.25
0.04
0.09
0.93
5
Ht = 9.18 + 7.18CD
-
0.0508LA
21.29
21.32
-
0.03
0.05
0.96
6
CD = 0.258 + 0.0765Ht
1.89
1.89
0.00
0.01
0.99
7
CD = 1.15 + 0.0261LA
1.89
1.88
0.01
0.23
0.82
8
CD = 1.53 + 0.0432LN
1.89
1
.89
0.00
0.10
0.92
9
LA = 13.6 + 11.3CD
-
0.305Ht
28.44
28.43
0.01
0.01
0.99
NB.: CD = collar diameter; Ht = height; LA = leaf area; LN = leaf number
Generally,
P. mildbraedii
seeds have very high germination percentage going by the result of this
study
. Among the three sowing media, sawdust was relatively the best. The higher germination
rate recorded under sawdust may be due to the fact that organic matter and organic carbon
was
higher in sawdust
(of
Garcinia
k
ola
) and less topsoil and river-
sand
. Higher concentration of
organic carbon in sawdust has been noted by Okoli et al. (2015) compared to other sowing
media, though not of identified tree species
. This is in consonance with the study by Omokhua
et
al
. (2015), who reported highest germination percentage for Terminalia ivorensis in sawdust.
The result however disagrees with the work of Dickens (2011), who recorded apparent high
germination percentage
of
Irvingia wombulu in river-
sand
. The difference may be
as
a result of
uniqueness of the respective
plants studied, just as the seeds of
Irvingia
and
P. mildbraedii
differ
in physiological and biochemical properties and growth responses and requirements. It was
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observed during the study that the leaves of the plant were attacked
by
a species of pest
Acha
tina
fulica
, two weeks after seedling emergence by feeding on the leaves,
thereby
casing defoliation
.
This may be due to the fact that the leaves are edible and of course very succulent at that tender
age. However, the application of table salt (NaCl)
arou
nd the seedlings as a control measure
proved
very
effective in preventing further attacks
by decimating the advancing pest
.
All the manures applied improved the growth of P. milbraedii seedlings in one way or the other
as all the measured parameters were g
reater
with marked differences under the three fertilizer
treatment
s (poultry droppings, cow dung and NPK), but to different extents, compared to that of
the control, having zero-fertilizer inclusion. This is in line with the findings of Adeyemi et al
.
(20
16), who noted positive effects of different manures on Garcinia kola seedlings were greater
than the control. Among all the fertilizers applied, poultry dropping was the most positively
impactful as it produced the highest mean effects
on
growth of P. mil
dbraedii
seedling
s. This
may be due to the fact that the manure had the highest rate of mineralization and assimilation
than others, thereby quickening the nutrient uptake in plants, resulting in speedy
development
.
For instance,
poultry
droppings
improved
seedling height growth by 2.50 cm, 1.75 cm and 1.2
cm in river-sand, sawdust and topsoil, respectively compared to zero-fertilizer application
(control)
in eight weeks
.
This result corroborates the work of Mahantappa et al., (2011), who
noted significantly maximum seedling growth in poultry manure compared to other eleven
different fertilizer treatments
tried
on
Pterocarpus santalinus
.
Collar diameter is good predictors of height. Although some other parameters have predictive
ability to estimate height growth, their contributions to explaining the seedling height growths
are inadequate to serve as single predictors. Most of the developed models were good going by
their modeling efficiency and small RMSE and bias values. A low value of RMSE is an
indication
of good fit and suggests a good predictive ability of such models (Adekunle et al
.,
2004). The result further showed that there was neither suitable model for leaf area prediction
nor number of leaves. This disagrees with the works of Zhang and Pan (2011), Pompelli et al.,
(2012) and Souza and Habermann (2014), who independently recorded suitable models for
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59
predicting leaf area. This could be due to
the fact of species growth variations
, or
higher maturity
of the
species in question
than those considered in
the current study.
The model validation result, which involved testing the developed models and comparing the
results with the real (observed) data, revealed that there were no significant differences in mean
observed and the predicted values. This is in line with the works of Dau and Chenge (2016),
Adeyemi and Ugo-mbonu (2017), who noted that observed data were not significantly different
from that predicted values for the dependent variables.
Conclusion
The result of this study has shown that sawdust (o
f
Garcinia kola) was the best for propagating
Pterocarpus mildbraedii seeds, going by the results of this study as reflected in growth
parameters measured. In general, seeds of P. mildbraedii
germinate
d within a short period of
time, between 3 to 17 days after propagation. The early seedling emergence is probably due to
the fact that the seeds were removed from the pods before sowing. With regards to fertilizer
application, fertilization significantly improved P. mildbraedii seedling growth and development
with poultry droppings producing the highest
net
growth effects. There was no die-back after
fertilization, implying that none of the manures applied had negative effects on the seedlings.
Hence, poultry manure is recommended for future propagation of the species, and for other
species having similar growth attributes and responses. Most of the developed growth models
were good going by their modeling efficiencies and small bias values. However, only Ht = 7.77
+ 6.25CD - 0.0517LA + 0.373LN
and
CD = 0.258 +
0.0765Ht
were
tested
suitable
for
P.
mildbraedii
seedling height and diameter predictions
.
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