Ayeni LS
A laboratory incubation study was conducted in 2009 to investigate the effects of cocoa pod ash (CPA) (0, 5 and 10 t ha-1), poultry manure (PM) (0, 5 and 10 t ha-1), NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer (NPKF) (0, 100 and 200kg ha-1) and their various combinations on the rate of nutrients release with soil constituents in southwestern Nigeria. The soil used was slightly acidic, low in OM, N, P and K. The twenty eight treatments were incubated for 90 days using completely randomized design and were replicated three times. Among the combinations CPA+NPKF, PM+NPKF and PM+CPA+ NPKF had higher OC, NH4-N, NO3-N and available P than CPA+PM showing enhancement of NPKF in nutrient mineralization. The combinations also had higher cations and available S under study than the single application of the fertilizer materials. Cocoa pod ash applied at high rate of 10t ha-1 had lower OC, N and NO3-N than when 5t ha-1 CPA was applied alone or combined with PM and NPKF. Cocoa pod ash combined with either poultry manure or NPK fertilizer or both increased soil nutrients above critical levels required for optimum production of crops especially arable crops in southwestern Nigeria.
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