GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

ABSTRACT
Many Researchers have shown that neither mineral fertilizers nor organic fertilizers are a
panacea for soil fertility management in Nigeria. This has led to the innovation of
organomineral fertilizers which combines the attribute of both mineral and organic
fertilizers. Field experiments were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, Crop
Production and Horticulture Department, School of Agriculture, Lagos State Polytechnic
within the month of May and August 2018, to study the effect of organomineral fertilizer
(OMF) at the rate of 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10t/ha; and NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer (NPK) at the
rate of 200kg/ha on the performance of fluted pumpkin. The treatments were laid out in
randomized complete Block Design with three replications and with plots size of 2m×2m. All
agronomic characters were recorded at 4th, 6th and 8th weeks after planting (WAP) and the
yield was taken at 8th and 11th weeks after planting (WAP). Compared with control,
Organomineral fertilizer (OMF) and NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer at all rates had no significance
(P <0.05) on vine length, number of leaves, number of branches and leaf area at all week of
assessment and stem girth at 4th and 8th weeks after planting (WAP), Fresh weight at 8th
weeks after planting (WAP), significant on stem girth at 6th (WAP) and fresh weight at 11th
(WAP). It was concluded that Organomineral fertilizers even at low level of application
could be used to increase the performance of fluted pumpkin in Nigeria. Hence, one of the
recommendations was that organomineral fertilizers should be used even at low level of
application in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State.
KEYWORDS: Organomineral fertilizer, Telfaira occidentalis, performance, NPK
15:15:15, lkorodu