Impact of goat manure application on growth of wild watermelon under shade house cultivation 

Abstract

The continuous use of inorganic fertilizers in agriculture poses detrimental effects on soil health and future crop yields. Therefore, alternative sources of plant nutrients that are environmentally friendly and cost-effective for use in crop production, especially with the escalating cost of inorganic fertilizers, are necessary. A shade-house study was designed to determine the effect of different quantities of goat manure applications on growth attributes and yield of wild watermelon (Citrullus lanatus subsp.). A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used to arrange the treatments, with fourteen (14) replications (n = 84). Six (6) treatments consisting of various quantities (v/v) of river sand, Hutton soil, and goat manure (T0 -1:3:0, T1 -1:3:1, T2 -1:3:2, T3 -1:3:3, T4 -1:3:4, and T5 -1:3:3) were used, with T0 -1:3:0 constituting the control. Treatments had a highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) effect on dry shoot mass (65%), fruit weight (75%), and fruit diameter (75%) except for the dry root mass (44%), vine length (47%), chlorophyll (47%), number of fruit (27%) and stem diameter (22%) of wild watermelon plants. Dry shoot mass was the highest (11.14 g) in T4 -1:3:4, and the lowest dry shoot mass (6.57 g) was obtained in T1 -1:3:1 when compared to the control. The fruit fresh weight of the wild watermelon was reduced in all the treatments, when compared to the control. The biggest fruit diameter (66.66 mm) was observed in T4 -1:3:4, and the lowest (14.4 mm) was observed in T5 -1:3:5. In conclusion, T4 -1:3:4 enhanced greater vegetative growth (dry shoot matter) and yield attributes (fruit diameter and weight) of the wild watermelon.