Effect of poultry manure on the fertility of a soil cultivated with cocoa (Theobroma cacao) in Ecuador

Abstract

The research was carried out in El Carmen canton, Manabí province, Ecuador. The objective was to evaluate the effect of levels of poultry manure on the chemical properties of an Inceptisol soil dedicated to the production of fine aroma cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) with the use of corn (Zea mays L.) as an indicator plant. Soil samples were taken in 2017 with a completely randomized design and levels 0, 2, 4, 4, 6, and 8 t ha-1 to be applied per 1.5 kg pots of soil. Comparisons of means were performed according to Tukey's test for p≤0.05 and Pearson’s correlation matrix with the statistical processors SPSS, Statistics (Version 19.0 on Windows), and STAHTGRAPHICS Plus, version 5.0. The best level of poultry manure was 6 t ha-1 since the highest pH value (water) and the lowest acidity of change, the highest Ca/Mg ratio, and the highest percentage of organic matter were achieved in the soil, and the best foliar nutrient contents (%), Ca/Mg ratio and total dry matter were achieved in the plant. The results showed positive correlations between the percentage of organic matter, foliar Ca/Mg ratio, and root dry matter, and between assimilable phosphorus contents in the soil and total dry matter.

Keywords

• sustainable agriculture
• soil quality and environment