Nutrient Source Affects The Vegetative Yield; Nutrient Quality and Shelf Life Of Marketable Fresh Leaves Of Amaranthus Hybridus L.

 Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria Nsukka 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria

 *Correspondent author, e-mail obi.udengwu@unn.edu.ng, obiudengwu@gmail.com

                                         Phone: +2348037723300, +2348032034068

 

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to compare the effects of organic and inorganic nutrient sources on the productivity, nutritive quality and shelf life of Amaranthus hybridus. The nutrient sources were a 50:50 mixture of compost manure: poultry droppings (OM), urea fertilizer (UF) and top soil (TS), as control. Weekly data, collected for 6 weeks, include: plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of branches per plant and circumference of stem at 5cm above soil level. The results showed that the yield of the OM treatment was significantly higher than that of UF and TS control. The proximate analysis showed that the protein content of the OM treatment was significantly higher than that of UT and the TS control. Also the OM treatment significantly improved the nutritive quality, and the shelf life of marketable fresh leaves of A. hybridus better than the other nutrient sources.  The shelf life studies, showed that A. hybridus shoots which were stuck into water in beakers (WB), had the best colour retention ability; least leaf weight loss and leaf fall per day; followed by the ones wrapped in black polythene (BP) and lastly by those in white polythene bags(WP), for all the nutrients sources. Significant differences were also recorded for the response of the plants to apical bud pruning based on application of different nutrient sources. It is concluded that organic manure could be a better nutrient source for production of A. hybridus in the region.

Keywords: Amaranthus hybridus, Nutrient source, Nutrients, Vegetative yield, Fresh leaves, Shelf life.