The use of microbe plus to improve phosphorus availability from rock phosphate under oil palm (Elaesis guineensis, Jacq.) nursery

International Journal of Development Research

Volume: 
10
Article ID: 
17918
6 pages
Research Article

The use of microbe plus to improve phosphorus availability from rock phosphate under oil palm (Elaesis guineensis, Jacq.) nursery

Oppong, E., Opoku, A., Ewusi-Mensah, N., Danso, F., Tuffour, H. O. and Abubakari, A

Abstract: 

The need to improve phosphorus availability from rock phosphate with readily available product is of prime importance in crop production. The overall objective of the research was to improve P availability from RP using MP and the subsequent effect on biomass nutrient concentration and P uptake. The research was conducted at OPRI of Ghana, Kade-Kusi in the semi-deciduous zone of the country. Soil available P, seedlings frond nutrient content and P uptake was evaluated on oil palm seedlings at the nursery. The study was a 4 × 4 factorial experiment arranged in RCBD with 3 replications. P fertilizers; Po, TSP, SRP, TRP and Microbe Plus at rates of 0, 50, 100, 150 % were applied. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using Genstat statistical package (12.1 ed.). The results showed significant (p<0.05) influence of the applied inputs on the parameters determined. TSPMP150 and TSPMP100 complementary applications produced the highest soil available P and P uptake in seedling fronds by 285 and 161 % significant (p<0.05) increase over the control respectively at 10 MAT. Deficient K and Ca contents in frond biomass were recorded at the end of the trial. Field experiments are therefore recommended to validate the effects of MP and the P fertilizers on soil microbial dynamics and seedlings growth performance.

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