Effects of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on the Growth of NH-Ae 47-4 Variety of Okra

The paper evaluates the effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the growth of okra (variety NH-Ae 47-4. Organic fertilizers (cow dung and poultry droppings) and inorganic (NPK 15:15:15 and Urea 64:0) fertilizers were used for the experiment. The fertilizers were weighed and applied at 5g, 10g and 15g and were replicated three times and each having a control. Vegetative growth parameters taken include, shoot fresh weight (g), dry weight (g), plant height (cm), leaf number, stem girth (cm), leaf area (cm2). The results obtained from the experiment showed that the effect of the treatments were significantly difference from the control for all the parameters accessed with urea fertilizer having least effect. Plants treated with poultry litters have best performance by recording the highest fresh and dry weight (0.39g) at 4 weeks after planting (WAP); highest stem height 29.33cm for all the concentrations applied. Similarly, it has highest leaf area and stem girth (64.67cm2and 2.23cm respectively) at 8WAP.

THE PROSPECT OF BIOGAS AMONG SMALL-HOLDER DAIRY GOAT FARMERS IN THE ULUGURU MOUNTAINS, TANZANIA

Biogas can be a clean cooking alternative where biomass is the dominant source of cooking energy and where feedstock for anaerobic digestion is available. By substituting woody biomass for energy, biogas may reduce local deforestation. Tanzania has more than 15.6 million goats. Dairy goats of different breeds are found in the mid- to high altitudes of the country. Population density has made firewood increasingly scarce and there are few energy alternatives in mountainous areas such as in the Uluguru Mountains. In Mgeta ward, Morogoro region, introduction of Norwegian dairy goats in the 1980s has improved livelihoods in the area. In this study, goat manure was assessed as feedstock for biogas and as fertilizer. Field work among small-holder dairy goat farmers in Mgeta was conducted to measure daily manure production, and to provide a basic model for prediction of the quantity of droppings which may be collected by farmers. Biogas and fertilizer potential from goat manure was compared to cow and pig manure. Buswell’s formula was used to calculate approximate methane yield. The results show that goat manure from Mgeta can yield 167 l∙kg Volatile Solids-1 (VS). Compared with other substrates approximate methane yield can be ranked as pig > guatemala grass > cow > goat. The average goat of 25 kg in Mgeta leaves 61 kg Total Solids (TS) droppings per year. It was estimated that 15 goats capita-1 would be required to meet the total cooking energy needs of small-holder households in the study location. N:P:K content in goat manure (TS) is 2:1:1, similar to cow and pig manure. Goat droppings had to be macerated to reduce particle size for anaerobic digestion. Biogas from dairy goats could be combined with the year-round irrigated horticulture production in Mgeta. Vegetable gardens in the slope below the digesters could be fertilized by gravitation with the NH4+-rich bioslurry, to save labour and increase yields.