Initial growth of Moringa oleifera Lam. as a function of poultry litter doses and granulometry

Abstract

There is an increasing use of poultry litter in seedling production. However, studies regarding the effect of different particle-size litter on plant growth are still scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the growth of Moringa oleifera Lam. fertilized with poultry litter doses (0 g dm^-3, 40 g dm^-3, 80 g dm^-3 and 120 g dm^-3) with distinct particle sizes (1 mm and 4 mm), with four replications. The following variables were evaluated: plant height; root and stem diameter; leaf, stem, shoot and root dry matter mass; shoot/root dry matter mass ratio; and the Dickson quality index. There was no influence of the particle size on the studied variables, except for plant height. The root diameter decreased with the increase of the poultry litter doses. The accumulation of dry matter mass from the shoot and root increased with the increase of poultry litter doses up to 120 g dm^-3. A linear increase of the Dickson quality index, relatively to days and poultry litter doses, was observed. It is recommended to apply 80 g dm^-3 of poultry litter to fertilize M. oleifera plants, independently of the granulometry used.