Assessing the impact of poultry manure application rates and timing on cabbage yield and quality

Author

Malandu, Annele

Title

Assessing the impact of poultry manure application rates and timing on cabbage yield and quality

Abstract

The shift with regards to sustainable agriculture has elevated interest in organic fertilisers like poultry manure, yet optimal application approaches for specific crop remain inferiorly understood especially in Zimbabwe. The research investigated the impacts of different poultry manure application rates and timing on cabbage yield and quality in Zimbabwe. The study adopted a randomized complete block design with five treatments: conventional fertilizer as the control, and four poultry manure treatments varying in quantity (300g and 400g) and application timing (one month and two months before transplanting). The parameters measured included leaf number, leaf length, and head weight at time of harvesting. There was highly significant difference (p<0.001) leaf number, leaf length and cabbage yield among the treatments, with the conventional fertilizer treatment consistently producing superior results across all parameters. Of the organic treatments, 400g of poultry manure applied two months before transplanting performed best suggesting the importance of both the quantity and timing in nutrient availability. The study concluded that while organic fertilizer can support cabbage production, careful consideration of application timing as well as rates is important for optimal yields. The recommendation that manure application done 2 months before planting at a rate of 400g per station was made.

Date

September 2025

Publisher

BUSE

Keywords

Poultry manure

Yield and quality

Application rates

Supervisor

Mr. J. Chitamba