Waldforschung: Offener Zugang
Offener Zugang

Abstrakt

Effect of Poultry Manure and its Biochar on Seedling Vigor of Selected Multipurpose Tree Species

Tesfaye Humnessa, Zebena Asfaw, Abayneh Derero

The study was conducted on the effect of poultry manure and biochar of poultry manure on seedling vigour of selected trees with objective to understand the influence of nursery growing media on seedlings. Albizia gummifera, Cordia africana and Miletia ferrugenia were grown in 7 different soil mixes. Treatment 1/control (3 local topsoil+2 forest soil+1 sand); treatment 2 (3 local topsoil+2 biochar of poultry manure+1sand); treatment 3 (3 local topsoil +2 poultry manure+1 sand); treatment 4 (3 local topsoil+2 equal proportion of poultry manure and biochar of poultry manure+1 sand; treatment 5 (3 local topsoil+2 equal proportion of biochar of poultry manure and forest soil +1 sand); treatment 6 (3 local topsoil+2 equal proportion of poultry manure and forest soil+1 sand); treatment 7 (3 local topsoil 2 equal proportion of forest soil, biochar of poultry manure and poultry manure+1 sand. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Seedling height and leaf number per plant were measured four times and root collar diameter three times over study period, biomass data was taken at the end. Data were subjected to ANOVA and mean were separated using LSD at (p<0.05). Result showed that height (cm), RCD (mm), leaf number per plant and fresh biomass (g) of treatment 3, treatment 2, and treatment 4 were significantly higher than other treatments. Maximum numbers of leaves per plant recorded in treatment 3 were 36%, 33% and 14% higher than the control treatment for Albizia gummifera, Cordia africana and Milletia ferrugenia respectively. Also maximum seedling height were obtained in treatment 3 which were 26.70%, 30.70% and 30.80% higher than the control treatment for Albizia gummifera, Cordia africana and Milletia ferrugenia respectively. In terms of RCD similarly the highest value 33%, 8% and 20% thicker than the control treatment respectively in A. gummifera, C. africana and M. ferrugenia seedlings. Accordingly, for all selected species, growing media comprised in treatment 3, treatment 2 and treatment 4 respectively had the greatest effect on growth parameter of seedlings.