Effect of Different Rates of Chicken Manure and Ages of Transplanting on Growth and Yield Performance of Cabbage (Brassica Oleracea Var. capitata).

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted at the Multipurpose Crop Nursery at different sites of the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), Mampong Campus, from March to July 2022 and August to December 2022 in the major and minor rainy seasons, respectively to determine growth and yield productivity of cabbage as affected by different rates of chicken manure and different transplanting ages. The experimental design used was a 3 x 3 factorial experiment arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with nine treatments and replicated four times. There were two factors; (A) Rates of Chicken manure [(i) 0 t/ha (ii) 5 t/ha and (iii) 10 t/ha] and (B) Age of transplant [(i) 21 days (ii) 28 days and (iii) 35 days]. The results showed that, the amendment of soils with 10 t/ha CM notably improved the chemical properties of the soil exchangeable bases, exchangeable acidity, Total N, available P, and increased pH). Significant (P≤0.05) improvements in plant height, leaf number, and stem diameter resulted from the 10 t/ha chicken manure at 35 days after transplanting with their interactions often producing superior results. Leaf area and canopy width also increased substantially under 10 t/ha CM at 21 DAT. Shoot and root biomass were significantly enhanced under 5 and 10 t/ha CM, particularly in interactions with 28 and 35 DAT, respectively. Yield and yield components such as head weight per plant and plot, head yield, head diameter, and root weight per plot were significantly higher in 10 t/ha CM treatments, with the 10 t/ha CM × 28 DAT interaction consistently recording the best performance across both seasons. Conversely, 0 t/ha CM at 21 DAT frequently resulted in the least values across measured parameters. For optimal cabbage growth and higher head yield, farmers should combine 10 t/ha chicken manure rates (particularly) with transplanting ages between 35 and 28 days.