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- Effects of Fertilization on the Growth and Survival of Agoho...
Effects of Fertilization on the Growth and Survival of Agoho (Casuarina equistifolia Forst.) and Giant Ipil-ipil Hawaiian Variety [Leucaena Ieucocephala (Lam.) de Wit.] Seedlings Outplatend in a Grassland.
Thesis Abstract:
The study was conducted to determine the effects of fertilization on the growth and survival of agoho and gian ipil-ipil seedlings outplanted in a grassland, some soil properties, climatic variables and their interrelationships, and plant nutrient content and uptakes six month after planting.
Survival of agoho seedlings content and uptakes six months after planting higher than that of giant ipil-ipil seedlings. However, survival of the two species at harvest did not differ significantly. Survival was not affected by fertilizer treatments.
Agoho seedlings were significantly taller than ipil-ipil during the first, second, fourth and sixth month. At harvest, height of agoho averaged 44.16 cm and giant ipil-ipil, only 14.81 cm. Height growth was significantly increased by NP fertilization during the first month, with N2P1 giving the highest height growth in both species (17.17cm) as compared to N0P0 treatment (8.53cm). During the second, fourth and sixth month, however, N1P2 produced the highest growth in height.
The diameter of giant ipil-ipil was significantly larger than that of agoho during the first and second month. Diameter growth was significantly increased by NP fertilizer levels during the first and sixth month, with N2P0 giving the largest diameter growth.
Although the two species did not differ in dry weights of shoots at harvest, they responded, however, to NP fertilizer treatments. N1P2 produced 18.15 g/shoot and N0P0, only 8.09 g/shoot.
Regression analysis showed a positive response of height and diameter growth to increasing levels of N up to 300kg N/ha, but negative for P levels.
Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents were higher in giant ipil-ipil shoots than in agoho. Uptakes of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, however, were significantly greater in agoho shoots than in giant ipil-ipil.
Soil pH significantly decreased four months after planting but not at harvest, with the decrease much more pronounced in agoho than in giant ipil-ipil. Soil organic matter content increased from the initial value of 3.66% to 5.25 and 5.60% in the fourth and sixth month, respectively. Soil total nitrogen, available phosphorus and exchangeable potassium showed increasing trends during the fourth month.
It could be concluded that agoho seedlings survived and grew better than those of giant ipil-ipil under the experimental conditions of the study, and that nitrogen and phosphorus are needed to increase growth in height, diameter, dry weight or biomass and nutrient upatake of agoho seedlings in a grassland.