Efficacy of vimpel as fertilizer for raising oil palm seedlings

Abstract

Oil palm seedlings response to vimpel and NPKMg 12:12:17:2 was investigated at the main nursery of the Nigerian Institute For Oil palm Research (NIFOR) for 2015 and 2016 cropping season. Three rates vimpel and NPKMg 0, 28g and 56g / seedling were tested respectively. The trial was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in four replicates. Data were collected on seedling height, girth, leaf number, leaf area, dry matter yield, fresh matter yield and percentage of transplantable seedlings at 12 months after transplanting. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and their mean compared with Least Significance Difference (LSD) at 5% level of probability. Results showed that all parameters measured were significantly (p<0.05) affected by the applied varied rates of fertilizers. The highest palm height (114.7cm), girth (22.8cm), number of fronds (13), leaf area (78.8 cm²), fresh and dry matter yield (108g and 76g) and percentage transplantable (89.5%) was obtained in seedlings treated with combined application of 28g vimpel + 28g NPKMg 12:12:17:2 while the least palm height (102.7cm), girth (16.8cm), number of fronds (11), leaf area (70.8 cm²), fresh and dry matter yield (98g and 56g) and percentage transplantable (71.5%) was obtained in the control seedlings.