Effect Of Organic And Inorganic Fertilizers On Growth,yield And Oil Content Of Seeds Of Colocynth Plant (citrullus Colocynthis (l.) Schrad.)

Abstract

This study was carried out at the Demonstration Farm of the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Sudan during the period April – September 2009. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of the organic and inorganic fertilizers on the growth, yield and seed oil content and to explore the differences between two seed sources of colocynth (Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.) under Shambat environment. The treatments were chicken manure at the rate of 12 ton/ha., compost at the rate of 12 ton/ha., urea at the rate of 240 kg/ha. and the control. The two seed sources were 'Sunt' Forest, Khartoum State and North Kordofan State . The layout of the experiment was split plot design with 3 replicates. Sowing date was on the first of April 2009 . Parameters measured were number of leaves per plant, number of branches per plant, plant length, days to 50% flowering, number of fruits per plant, number of seeds per fruit, weight of 1000 seeds, percentage of seed oil content, seed yield per hectare and oil yield per hectare. Number of leaves and branches were significantly different among chicken manure , compost and the other treatments . The two seed sources exhibited significant difference in number of leaves and branches per plant. Regarding the plant length, compost treatment was significantly higher than urea and the control, but nearly the same as the chicken manure. The seed sources were not significantly different. Number of days to 50% flowering showed that chicken manure and urea were significantly different ( late) from compost (early); but difference was not significant between the compost and control which was not significantly different from chicken manure and urea. The two seed sources were significantly different. There was no significant difference among fertilizer treatments regarding number of fruits per plant whereas the two seed sources were significantly different. Plants from 'Sunt' Forest seed were more prolific than those from North Kordofan. Compost gave significantly higher number of seeds per fruit than the control and 'Sunt' Forest seed produced significantly higher number of seeds per fruit than that of North Kordofan. Regarding the weight of 1000 seeds, no significant differences were observed among fertilizer treatments while the North Kordofan seeds scored significantly heavier weight than 'Sunt' Forest. The percent oil content showed no significant differences among fertilizer treatments as well as the seed source. However, seed yield and oil yield per hectare showed significant difference between compost and the control and no sigfnicant difference between compost and chicken manure and urea. No significant difference were detected between the two seed sources. Here the significance is attributed to the significance in total seed yield among fertilizer treatments; likewise 'Sunt' Forest showed high yield of seeds and consequently oil per hectare than that of North Kordofan.