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UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND VETERINARY SCIENCES
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF CROP SCIENCE AND CROP PROTECTION
PROJECT REPORT
BY: SAM KOILE (REG. NO. A22/1737/2010)
PROJECT TITLE:
EFFECT OF INORGANIC AND ORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON GROWTH AND
YIELD OF DOLICHOS LABLAB (Lablab purpereus)
PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED AS A REQUIRENT IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT
FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR DEGREE IN BSC. AGRICULTURE- CROP
SCIENCE MAJOR
SUPERVISOR: PROF. CHEMININGW’A
©April 2014
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DECLARATION
This project report is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in any other
University.
SAM KOILE (REG. NO. A22/1737/2010)
Signed:……………………………. Date:…………………………………..
Supervisor:
Signed:……………………………. Date:…………………………………..
Prof. CHEMININGW’A
Department Of Crop Science and Crop Protection
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and most important, I give thanks to God for taking me through the 4 years in the
University up to the final compilation of this project work.
Secondly, my sincere appreciation goes to Prof. Chemining’wa, who has been my supervisor
from the time I started my project work, I thank him for his endless support and guidance in
carrying out the project and the compilation of the report.
And lastly, I thank my parents for their support, morally, spiritually, academically and
financially in my education up to this level.
May God bless you all.
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Table of contents
DECLARATION .......................................................................................................................................... 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................................ 2
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................................. 4
1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 5
1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ................................................................................................... 5
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT AND JUSTIFICATION ......................................................................... 8
1.3 OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................................................... 10
1.3.1 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................... 11
1.4 HYPOTHESES ................................................................................................................................. 11
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 12
2.1 ECOLOGY OF DOLICHOS BEAN. ............................................................................................... 12
2.2 IMPORTANCE OF DOLICHOS LABLAB .................................................................................... 13
2.3 CONSTRAINTS TO DOLICHOS PRODUCTION ......................................................................... 16
2.4 EFFECT OF INORGANIC FERTILIZERS AND ORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON GROWTH OF
DOLICHOS BEAN. ............................................................................................................................... 17
3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS .......................................................................................................... 19
3.1 SITE DESCRIPTION ....................................................................................................................... 19
3.2 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, TREATMENTS AND CROP HUSBANDRY. ................................ 19
3.4 DATA COLLECTION ..................................................................................................................... 21
3.5 DATA ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................... 21
4.0 RESULTS. ............................................................................................................................................ 22
5.0 CONCLUSION. .................................................................................................................................... 25
6.0 RECOMMENDATION ........................................................................................................................ 26
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ABSTRACT
A field experiment was conducted at University of Nairobi, Kabete Field Station between
January and April, 2014 to determine the effects of fertilizers on growth and yield of Dolichos
Lablab. Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), DAP combined with farmyard manure (FYM), FYM
alone and a control (no fertilizer) treatments were tested. The experimental design used was a
randomized complete block design and treatments were replicated three times. Data collected
included plant height, time to flowering, shoot dry matter and number of pods per plant. The
collected data was subjected to analysis of variance using Genstat discovery edition 4 and
treatment means compared using Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD) test at 5%
probability level. Application of DAP and DAP+FYM significantly increased the shoot dry
matter and the number of pods per plant relative to the control plots. Only plots supplied with
DAP significantly increased plant height and accelerated flowering. In conclusion, application of
DAP fertilizer is necessary to increase lablab crop productivity.
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Dolichos lablab (Lablab purpereus) is a species in the family Fabacea. It is known by several
common names across the world, for instance: hyacinth bean (Brazil), Dolichos bean, Seim bean,
Australian Pea (Australia), Kikuyu bean (Kenya), Gerenge (Ethiopia), Tonga bean (England),
Lubia (Sudan), Fiwi bean (Zambia), Field bean and Pole bean. (Thomas Jefferson, the Scientific
Gardener).
It is an annual short-lived perennial vine, which originated from Africa and it’s cultivated
throughout the tropics. It can be cultivated as a pure crop or mixed with crops such as finger
millet, groundnut and maize. In Kenya it is majorly grown by small scale farmers especially in
Central and Eastern Kenya. The vines can produce purple seed pods and purple flowers, some
produce white flowers. It can grow from 4ft-15ft (1-5m) in height. Its purple green leaves can
either be triangular or oval in shape. The flowers are shaped like peas and extend above dense
foliage.
The cultivar Rongai of Lablab purpureus originally came from Kenya as CPI 17883. It is a much
earlier maturing cultivar. Cv.Highworth was introduced to Australia as CPI 20212 from Southern
India.
Rongai cultivar is white and light brown. It has high yield coupled with adequate foliage thus
giving high dry matter production. Almost all of these African initiatives have included and
continue to include one popular late-maturing forage cultivar, cv. Rongai (Makembe and Ndlovu
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1996; Fischler and Wortmann 1999; Haque and Lupwayi 2000; Wortmann et al. 2000; Shehu et
al. 2001; Mureithi et al. 2003; Amodu et al. 2004; Nworgu and Ajayi 2005; Nyambati et al.
2006; Abeke et al. 2007; Ojiem et al. 2007; Abeke et al. 2008; Mubiru and Coyne 2009) and, as
a result, the potential role of the species as a pulse or vegetable in Africa is likely to be severely
underestimated.
Dolichos is adaptable to wide range of areas under diverse climatic conditions such as arid, semi-
arid, subtropical and humid temperature. It is a drought tolerant crop and can withstand growth
in dry lands with limited rainfall of as low as 400mm .It prefers a rainfall in excess of 750mm
but not above 2500mm and cool temperatures ranging from 14-28oC. It can be grown in
lowlands and uplands and many types of soils with varying pH of 4.4-7.8, but poor in wet soils.
Dolichos is cultivated majorly because of its various uses for instance: It’s widely cultivated as
food crop in tropical areas like Indonesia, India and some parts of Africa. As food crop; the
leaves are eaten raw or cooked as spinach, the green pods are either cooked as vegetable or eaten
raw, the flowers are eaten raw or steamed, dried seeds should be boiled in two changes of water
before eating since they contain cyanogenic compounds which are dangerous chemical
compounds.
Dolichos is used as an ornamental plant, since they are climbers and they produce flowers of
various colors, from purple to white. They have been used as screen on fences or trellis,
especially in USA.
It is used as forage for livestock, especially the dairy animals to increase milk production. In
Zimbabwe for example, the use of lablab has improved kid birth rates in dairy goats and milk
yields.
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Dolichos is a good source of green manure due to its dense foliage which has high nitrogen
content.
It is also used as cover crop in mixed farming with crops like maize and sorghum as it; reduces
moisture loss, soil erosion and supplies nutrients inform of fixing nitrogen into the soil.
Dolichos is a good source of proteins and carbohydrates (Purseglove 1968, Duke 1983).In Africa
it’s considered a traditional food because of of its nutritional benefits and ability to promote food
security and foster development in rural communities, when sold as a food crop like the normal
beans.
In Kenya, particularly among the Kikuyu people, it has been historically used for breastfeeding
because of the thought to encourage lactation.
Constraints to dolichos production;
It is majorly attacked by various pests and diseases at different stages for instance: Bruchid
damage seeds during growth and storage, leaf miners feed on leaves at young vegetative state,
pod boring insects (Adisura atkinsoni) reduce seed yields.
Diseases like anthracnose, leaf spo ts, powdery mildew, late blight and stem-rot cause reduction
in lablab yield.
Due to its indeterminate flowering, it leads to extended seeding period in the current cultivars
that affects the final production due to weather changes.
It provides a host to pests attacking field beans due to its dense vegetation, thus, affecting its
eventual production and that of field beans.
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Being a short lived perennial it cannot withstand long production, its short lived production is
only limited to vegetative production.
Dolichos has been a traditional crop in Eastern Africa (Westphal 1974; Maundu et al. 1999)
although its use has dramatically decreased in recent years (Maundu et al. 1999; Ngailo et al.
2003). In an assessment of traditional knowledge about land use along a humidity gradient in
Arumeru district of Tanzania, Ngailo et al. (2003) found that, in the sub-humid villages, lablab,
as a field crop, was cultivated on about 10% of the land during the 1930s, but its use had
decreased to almost nothing by 2000. Despite this decline, however, lablab appears to persist as a
garden crop (rather than a field crop) in eastern and southern Africa.
Dolichos has received limited research and development in Africa. It is perceived as one of
traditional African vegetables that has been neglected (NRC 2006). Kenya is not an exception on
this, hence, no documentation on amount of Dolichos production.
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT AND JUSTIFICATION
Dolichos is the one of the lesser known legumes of arid and semi-arid land. It is classified by the
National Academy of Science (NAS) as potential source of protein that has not been explored
yet.
Dolichos is an important pulse and vegetative crop in Kenya. Dolichos work has been focused on
having high yielding production. With increasing population pressure and Intensive land use in
Kenya, Dolichos cultivation should be improved and expanded to marginal and low productive
areas in order to attain food security.
The existing lablab genotypes can give better yields with fertilizer application. The genotypes
can give better yields, within the available soil condition without causing unprecedented mineral
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depletion as the existing soil nutrient equilibrium can be maintained through application of
nutrients and mineralization of plant debris.
Studies of Dolichos to various farmers and researchers have received little or no attention in
Kenya. Thus, more work in terms of production needs to be explored especially on the usage of
fertilizers, to cater for the ever increasing Kenyan population that needs to be food secure. It is a
fact, that hyacinth bean has been grown on inherently poor soils or soils without improving the
field for a long time.
Soil fertility status in Kenya.
Through a study conducted to identify soil fertility status that were consistent with farmers
perceptions of soil fertility done in Central Kenya, farmers criteria for distinguishing soil
productivity included: soil tilth, soil moisture, soil colour, presence of weeds and soil
invertebrates.
Farmers attributed low fertility to: inadequate use of organic and inorganic
fertilizers(100%),removal of crop residues(100%),continuous cropping at 83%,lack of crop
rotation and soil erosion(42%).This was further substantiated through use of soil chemical
analyses and soil organic matter fractions.(E.W. Muraga…et. al 2000)
Some light has also been shown on soil status in Western Kenya through a study carried out in
Lake Victoria Basin. As the population grew in this area that had high fertility, the fertility
gradually depleted by crop harvest removals, leaching and soil erosion.
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This in turn, reduced the crop yields within these areas, this has forced the farmers to compensate
these losses by returning nutrients to the soil via; crop residues, manure and mineral fertilizers
(Shepherd and Soule, 1998)
From these studies, we can deduce that there is soil fertility problem in Kenya which can be
amended by use of: crop residues, organic and inorganic fertilizers.
Dolichos capacity to improve soil status.
To improve soil status, crops like Dolichos are recommended. For instance, in a study of
contribution of five legumes: Chickpea, Field bean, Soy bean, Garden pea and Dolichos, to soil
nitrogen followed by maize cropping at Rongai and Njoro in Rift Valley. The study gave results
that showed improved soil nitrogen status following the legumes production, with Dolichos
giving the highest available nitrogen (S.M. Mwonga…et al 2001)
In another experiment to determine decomposition and nutrient release from foliage of legume
species: clitoria and lablab planted as monocrops and as intercrops in fine loamy soils. The order
of nutrient release at 6/10 weeks was K>P>Mg>N for clitoria while that of Dolichos was
K>Mg>P>N.
It is clearly evident from these two studies that lablab is able to fix nutrients in the soil and more
so, nitrogen at the largest quantity.
1.3 OBJECTIVES
The main objective of this study is to increase productivity of Dolichos through improved plant
nutrient management.
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1.3.1 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
1. To determine the effect of inorganic fertilizers on the growth and yield of Dolichos bean.
2. To determine the effect of organic manure on the growth and yield of Dolichos bean.
1.4 HYPOTHESES
Application of organic fertilizers has no effect on growth and yield of Dolichos.
Application of inorganic fertilizers has no effect on growth and yield of Dolichos.
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2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 ECOLOGY OF DOLICHOS BEAN.
Dolichos prefers lower elevation but can withstand an altitude of up to 2000m above sea level.
(Crowder 1960)
Prefers rainfall in excess of 750mm but not above 2500mm. It can utilize rainfall as low as
400mm during summer incidence but where deep soils are available. It is quite drought tolerant
and very poor when established in wet soils. (Luck 1965; Wilson and Murtagh, 1962)
It grows in a wide range of soils from deep sands to heavy clays, provided drainage is good and
from pH 4.5-7.5. (Dolichos lablab Floridata, 1996-2012)
Dolichos is adapted to annual rainfall regimes of 650-3000mm. Its drought tolerant once
established and will grow where rainfall is less than 500mm, but loses leaves during prolonged
dry periods. According to data compiled by Cook et al. (2005), forage lablab is best adapted to
annual rainfall regimes of 650–3,000 mm although it can be used as a forage in regions with
rainfall of <500 mm provided seedlings can be established. However, lablab does drop leaves
during prolonged dry periods. Cook et al. (2005) also maintained that lablab is able to extract soil
water from at least 2 m depth, even in heavy-textured soils.
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Muchow (1985) showed lablab cv. Highworth to be among the more drought-tolerant crops,
when comparing its grain yield with those of soybean (Glycine max) in semi-arid South-
Australia.
It grows best at average daily temperature of 18-30oC and it is tolerant to high temperature. It can
withstand temperature drop of 3oC for short periods. It is frost susceptible, but can tolerate very
light frosts. It is intolerant to moderate to heavy shading. (Dolichos lablab Floridata, 1996-2012)
The seed is recommended to be treated with cowpea strain CB 756 since it does not easily
nodulate with native strains of rhizobia for higher yields (Norris, 1967). Diatloff (1967),
recorded poor growth on poor sandy soils in South-East Coastal Queensland where uninoculated
plants yielded 203Kg/ha of dry matter compared with 1611Kg/ha inoculated.
2.2 IMPORTANCE OF DOLICHOS LABLAB
Ability to fix Nitrogen to the soil; it supplies a large amount of nitrogen through leaf decay,
estimated to provide 220kg/ha of Nitrogen. (Lambert, Personal Communication). Perry(1967b)
obtained dry matter yields up to 44,832kg/ha in 287 days at Kimberly Research Station which
contained 6279 kg/ha of protein, unfertilized with Nitrogen indicating extensive nitrogen
accumulating ability.
Hyacinth bean is used in hay and silage making; it makes excellent hay if the leaf is preserved.
Skirman (1958b) made excellent silage with a mixture of sorghum, lifting the protein of the
sorghum from 4.5% to 8.1% with a 1:2 lablab-mixture ratio and 11% under 2:1 mixture.
It has a greater feeding value; it can withstand all the seasons i.e. summer and winter and hence,
it is excellent for bridging the gap between summer and winter grazing crops and pasture (Luck,
1965b)
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Dolichos has a high performance and very efficient; at Fazando El Prata, Sao Paulo Brazil
(Lambert, Personal Communication) lablab raised the milk yield by 1.5kg/day after 2 days.
Hamilton (1969) obtained 9-13 litres milk/head/day from cows grazing on pure Dolichos.
It’s a good pioneer crop to prepare land previously infested with Axon opus and Cyndon grasses
for sowing grass/legume mixtures (Cassidy, 1968)
Dolichos is easy to establish, because of its large seeds its seedling is vigorous and able to retain
its foliage and therefore its feed value (Wilson and Murtaght, 1962)
Dolichos at times is used as an ornamental plant, mostly in USA for its beautiful dark-green,
purple-veined foliage with large spikes clustered with deep-violet and white pea like blossoms.
(University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India)
It can be incorporated into cereal cropping systems as legume ley to address soil fertility decline
and it is used as an intercrop species with maize to provide better legume or Stover feed quality.
The influence of lablab on grain and fodder yield of maize was tested in a humid forest region of
Nigeria and it showed great yields as compared to when maize was planted solely. (Gbaraneh, et
al, 2004)
Dolichos has beautiful fragrant flowers that attract butterflies and humming birds that help in
pollination. It has also been a popular plant in China where it has been grown on fences and
trellises in backyards for centuries.(Dolichos lablab Floridata,1996-2012)
It is a popular vegetable, the flowers can be eaten raw or steamed, and the immature seeds can be
boiled and eaten like any shelly bean. The beans are boiled and mashed with ripe and semi-ripe
bananas giving the dish a sweet taste. The mature seeds contain cyanide and must be boiled
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twice to remove toxicity before they are eaten. Hence, lablab is considered a main source of
food. (Cover and Green Manure Crops, May 1992)
It is used for medicinal purposes; in the treatment of cholera, vomiting, diarrhea, alcoholic
intoxication. Juice from the pods is used to treat inflamed ears and throats.(Sustainable
Agriculture, Green Manure Crops ,August 2002)
The sale of extra yield of dolichos has enabled farmers to raise revenue and this has helped to
reduce poverty. Recent market surveys from eastern Africa suggest that there is a high demand
and subsequently a good price for lablab in Kenya (Ngailo et al. 2003).
It is used to smother weeds; with its viny habit, fast- early growth and ability to grow with little
applied water, lablab can effectively smother weed growth and quickly provide an effective
ground cover to protect the soil from erosion.
It is a major source of food to micro-organisms; incorporating green manures such as lablab into
the soil provide a food supply for a diverse group of soil micro-organisms; their decomposition
makes nutrients available to the next crop in the rotation programme. This results in nutrient
retention and reduces leaching losses. (Sustainable Agriculture Green Manure Crops, August
2002).
It has high grain yields and better resistance to root diseases than cowpeas. Besides this, it is a
considerable multipurpose legume in crop-livestock system in cases where crop rotation is
practiced. (Dolichos lablab Floridata 1996-2012)
Dolichos is tolerant to drought conditions (e.g., Maundu et al. 1999) and has been reported to
have better drought tolerance than the common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) or cowpea (Vigna
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unguiculata) (Piper and Morse 1915). When Keller et al. (2006) surveyed diversity of indigenous
vegetables in Eastern Tanzania; lablab was mostly recorded from the dryer regions and was
cultivated in 9 from 10 villages surveyed in the Kongwa district (Keller 2004).
2.3 CONSTRAINTS TO DOLICHOS PRODUCTION
It cannot withstand heavy grazing of stumps. If the leaves are taken it will provide 2-3 grazing in
a season (Name 1970, unpublished).He advises that the plant should not be below 25cm and
recovery will take 4-5 months to give a second cut in Brazil.
I t is attacked by numerous diseases throughout the world though in Australia, Rongai cultivar is
fairly disease free. A stem rot caused by Sclerotinia scleretiorum may attack the plant under wet
conditions; other diseases include powdery mildew, late blight which affects the yield of
Dolichos. (Wilson and Murtagh, 1962)
The roots of Lablab purpereus are attacked by nematodes, Helicotylenchus dihystera and
Meloidogyne spp. It is also attacked by leaf eating insects and pod boring insects that reduce seed
yields. (Luck 1965b, Morris and Levitt, 1968)
It is faced with problem of flower shedding which is a major constraint for yield in this crop.
About 10-20% of the flowers only develop into mature pods. However, with proper management
of the crop by applying 20Kg/N/ha at flowering, the flower drop can be minimized. (Byre
Gowda, Pigeon-pea and Dolichos Breeder, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore,
India)
Lablab provide host for pests that attack it and field beans thus reduce production of such crops.
For example pod boring insect, leaf miners, aphids etc. (Factsheet Lablab purpureus, 1996-2012
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2.4 EFFECT OF INORGANIC FERTILIZERS AND ORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON
GROWTH OF DOLICHOS BEAN.
Subhiah and Morchan, (1973), noted response of lablab to NPK. Investigations were conducted
to assess the nutrient needs of Dolichos in Red clay to any soils of Central Farm Agriculture
College and Research Institute between1966-1968 with two replications. The levels of nutrients
applied were 0, 9 and 18kg of Nitrogen and 0, 11, 36 of P2O5 and 22.72 kg per acre of K2O.An
addition of 10T of FYM was also added.
The results showed that there was no significant increase in yield to application of NPK,
Phosphorous application indicated significant response. However, the plots manured alone had
the highest yields.
Noor et.al (1992) studied the effect of fertilizer and organic manure on yield of hyacinth bean
(Dolichos lablab). In this study, Dolichos lablab wasgrown in 1987-1990 during winter seasons
under different combinations of: 0, 30, 60 kg P 2O5; 0, 50,100Kg K2O or 20Kg of S and 5-10t
FYM/ha and no fertilizers as controls. All plots with fertilizers received 15Kg N/ha. Fertilizers
treated plots gave the highest pod yields as compared with the controls, with P2O5 and K2O
giving the highest yield.
Rao and Rao (1997) studied the influence of cobalt nitrate on growth and yield of bush bean
under moisture stress. Under this study, Dolichos lablab was grown at Rajendranagar in Andha
Pradesh in 1991-1992 in winter season when bush bean was under water stress was given cobalt
nitrate by seed treatment, at rates of 500m/Kg seed and foliar application of 500mg/litre.The
combination of cobalt nitrate as seed treatment and foliar application resulted in the highest total
dry matter accumulation per plant due to increase in crop growth rate.
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A trial was conducted at phosphorous deficient sites in Northern Nigeria to test the hypothesis
that application of phosphorous to legume cover crop fallow can substitute nitrogen application
to subsequent maize.Three rates of phosphorous, 0, 9,18Kg were applied as Single Super
Phosphate in the first year. Dry matter accumulation of Lablab purpureous responded to
Phosphorous application, while Mucuna cochinensis when grown under same condition did not
respond.
A study on intercropping few winter vegetables with lablab bean was conducted in Rajsha in
Bangladesh to evaluate the productivity of lablab bean cv. when intercropped with lettuce and
stem amaranth. Sole crops of each of these species were also maintained. Lablab and lettuce
intercropped showed a better performance than other combinations and sole crops. (Haque et al.
2004)
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3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1 SITE DESCRIPTION
The experiment was carried out at the University of Nairobi, College of Agriculture and
Veterinary sciences; Kabete Field station, which is located in agro-ecological zone II at 1934 m
above sea level. The soil types are nitisols, which are deep, fertile and well drained.
The area receives bimodal rainfall, approximately 1059mm annually. The area temperature
ranges from 13-23o C.
The trial was conducted from January to April under irrigation and the normal precipitation.
3.2 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, TREATMENTS AND CROP HUSBANDRY.
A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications was used.
The treatments comprised;
1. Diammonium Phosphate (200kg/ha)
2. Farmyard Manure (4-5tonnes/ha)
3. Diammonium phosphate (100kg/ha) together with FYM (2-2.5tonnes)
4. Control (No fertilizer)
The plot size measured 8.0m by 6.0m and was subdivided into 12 subplots measuring 1.8 m by
1.8 m.
Diammonium phosphate fertilizer was applied at a rate of 200 Kg per ha for the first treatment.
Farmyard manure was applied at a rate of 5 tonnes per ha for the second treatment.
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Diammonium phosphate fertilizer was applied at a rate of 100Kg per ha together with farmyard
manure applied at a rate of 2.5 tonnes per ha.
A control plot with no treatments was also set.
The plot was mechanically ploughed by hand.
The plots were divided into blocks A, B and C
TREATMENT BLOCK A BLOCK B BLOCK C
1(DAP ) FYM DAP DAP-FYM
2(FYM) DAP FYM DAP-FYM
3(DAP-FYM
combine)
CONTROL CONTROL FYM
4(Control) DAP-FYM DAP-FYM DAP
Both the organic and inorganic fertilizers were applied at planting time, using precise placement
method and mixed with soil.
Rongai cultivar was used for planting at a spacing of 40cm by 40cm, with two seeds placed per
hill.
The following practices were carried out during the Dolichos production:
1. Irrigation; being a dry season at the initial stages(January-early March),the planted seeds
were subjected to irrigation for healthy growth
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2. Weed control; timely weed control was done with the first weeding done 2 weeks after
emergence. The subsequent weeding was done at the emergence of weeds till flowering
set in.
3. Pests and disease control; the crop was sprayed with dimethoate insecticide 3 weeks after
emergence when they were infested with leaf miners.
4. Staking was done for plants that had attained heights of more than 1.5 meters.
3.4 DATA COLLECTION
Data was collected in terms of;
I. Taking the plant height after every month after germination and at maturity.
II. Obtaining dry matter after every month during the vegetative stage and at podding
stage.
III. Taking time taken to flower i.e. 50% flowering and time taken to pod i.e. 50%
podding.
IV. Taking any observations on changes or differences in leaf color after every two
weeks.
V. Counting the number of pods per plant.
3.5 DATA ANALYSIS
The collected data was subjected to analysis of variance using Genstat discovery edition 4
and treatment means compared using Fisher’s LSD test at 5% probability level.
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4.0 RESULTS.
Plant height:
Di-ammonium phosphate application significantly increased plant height compared to the control and
other treatments (Table 1).
Table 1: Effect of fertilizers on height of lablab plants
Treatments Plant height (cm)
Di-ammonium phosphate
(DAP)
90.90
Farmyard manure (FYM) 55.03
DAP+FYM 62.71
CONTROL (No-fertilizer) 47.92
LSD(p=0.05) 40.7
Time to flowering
Di-ammonium phosphate significantly reduced time to flowering compared to the control plots
and plots supplied with farmyard manure (Figure 1).
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Figure 1: Effect of fertilizer application on time to flowering
Dry matter
Di-ammonium phosphate and farmyard plus di-ammonium phosphate significantly increased dry
matter relative to the control plots (Table 2).
Table 2: Effect of fertilizer application on lablab dry matter
Treatments Dry matter (g/plant)
Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) 13.07a
Farmyard manure (FYM) 10.57ab
DAP+FYM 11.27a
CONTROL (No-fertilizer) 5.08b
LSD(p=0.05) 5.8
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Di-ammonium phosphate and farmyard plus di-ammonium phosphate significantly increased the
number of pods per plant relative to the control plots (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Effect of fertilizer application on number of pods per plant
DISCUSSION
DAP treatment outperformed other treatments at all levels of measurement of plant height;
(DAP-FYM) came second, followed by manure treatment and the control plots having the least
heights. The effect of the three treatments was also replicated in the time taken to flower and to
form pods, with DAP treated plots taking a short-time to flower and form pods, followed by
(DAP-FYM), FYM and finally control. DAP fertilizer easily releases its nutrients in a conducive
environment hence, a fast and healthy growth was experienced. In the FYM treatments plots,
there was slow release of manure nutrients in the soil for utilization by the plant, hence, a slow
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response in terms of growth was experienced. In the control experiment plots, there was no fast
growth due to lack of additional nutrients to improve plant growth.
Application of fertilizers increases amount of Dry matter accumulation. Easily released nutrients
like DAP gave the highest amount of dry matter accumulation, followed by (DAP-FYM), then
manure and finally the control experiment. The effect of the treatments was also replicated in the
number of pods formed per plant, with DAP giving the highest number of pods. This was due to
the fast release of nutrients by DAP. The findings in my study are similar to those of Noor et.al
(1992) and Rao and Rao (1997) who reported increased growth and pod yield of lablab when
supplied with inorganic and organic fertilizers.
5.0 CONCLUSION.
Use of organic and inorganic fertilizers has influence on growth and yield of dolichos.
Inorganic nutrients are easily released into the soil, hence dolichos utilized the nutrients easily
for fast and healthy growth. Manure is slowly released into the soil and most of their nutrients
are lost during the time of storage, plants experience shortage of these necessary nutrients hence,
the slow growth as compared to DAP. Under combined treatment of DAP and FYM, a better
response was observed as compared to FYM, due to the fast release of nutrients by the DAP
fertilizer lablab gave the highest pod yield. The study has demonstrated that application of DAP
fertilizer can enhance lablab crop productivity.
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6.0 RECOMMENDATION
Inorganic fertilizers like DAP should be used in lablab production for fast growth and
higher yields.
A study of time application of manure should be considered in lablab production for
more cost effective production and higher yields.
Research should be done on effect of applying varying rates of DAP and FYM on
production of Dolichos.
REFERENCES
