ABSTRACT: Background: The use of soilless media in production of seedlings is advancing. Materials and methods: Seven substrate prepared from sawdust (SD), poultry manure (PM), Municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) and rice husk Biochar (RHB) including topsoil as the control was utilized to determine an alternative growing medium for raising cocoa seedlings. The treatments were soil only (M1); SD+PM+RHB at a ratio of 70:25:5 (M2); SD+PM+RHB at 60:30:10 (M3); SD+PM+RHB at 50:35:15 (4); SD+MSWC+RHB at 70:25:5 (M5); SD+MSWC+RHB at 60:30:10 (M6); SD+MSWC+RHB at 50:35:15 (M7). The fertilizer rates were 200mgN/L, 310mgN/L and 420mgN/L. The experimental design was a split-split plot with three replications with two cocoa clones PA7 andT65 as the main plot factor, the three fertilizer rates as the sub-plot factor and the substrates as the sub-subplot factor. Data was collected on plant height, leaf number, leaf area, stem girth, root growth and dry weights.....
Keywords: Cocoa; substrate; fertilizer application rate; seedling; growth
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