Abstract

Okra famers usually cultivate continually on the same location which has brought loss in the soil fertility, reduction in the uptake of nutrients leading to poor yield. The study was conducted during the late and early rainy season of 2016-17 at the Teaching and Research Farm of Landmark University Kwara State, to evaluate the effects of Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray and Organo-Bio-Degradable fertilizer (OBD) on soil, development, yield, and mineral composition of okra. The treatment was arranged in a completely randomized design, with four levels of T. diversifolia (0, 10, 20 and 30 t/ha) and three levels of OBD fertilizer (0, 10, 20 t/ha) replicated three times. The results indicated that T. diversifolia and OBD manure applied sole or in combination was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the control, in terms of the growth, yield, and mineral composition of okra and physicochemical soil properties. The treatment combination of 30 t/ha of T. diversifolia and 20 t/ha of OBD had the highest yield in terms of pods number per plant harvested (14), fresh fruits weight (76 g/plant), and mineral composition (calcium magnesium, potassium, sodium, manganese, iron, copper and zinc) of okra fruits. Thus, T. diversifolia and Organo-Bio-Degradable fertilizer singly or in combination could be used in the cultivation of okra fruits with high mineral contents that are beneficial to the health of man when consumed.