Effect of Composted Empty Oil Palm Fruit Bunches on the Growth and Yield of Amaranthus and Soil Physicochemical Properties

The effect of composted empty oil palm fruit bunches (EFB) on the growth and yield components of Amaranthus and soil physicochemical properties was evaluated at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) main station. The composted EFB was applied at four different rates of 0, 10, 20, and 30 tons/ha. The experiment was replicated four times and arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Records of the vegetative growth and yield of Amaranthus were taken weekly until the termination of the experiment at four weeks after transplanting. The results showed that amaranthus responded at varying rates to composted EFB after application. However, the application rate of 20 tons/ha gave the highest mean plant height of 28.54 cm, leaf number of 17.84, number of branches 8.48 and fresh weight of 5.76 tons/ha respectively. The different rates of compost treatment showed no significant difference in soil chemical properties at soil depths of 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm at ≥ 0.05P.