THE EFFECT RATE OF FERTILIZER APPLICATION ON VEGETABLE (TELFAIRIA OCCIDENTALIS)
INTRODUCTION
In Africa indigenous vegetables remain popular in rural areas where they are often considered to be more nutritive than exotic vegetables. Telfairia occidentalis commonly called fluted pumpkin is an important leaf and seed vegetable indigenous to Southern Nigeria and grown in the forest zone of west and central Africa (Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone being the major producers). It probably originated in south east Nigeria and distributed by Igbos who have been cultivated this crop since time immemorial.
The leaf is of high nutritional, medicinal and industrial values rich in protein (29%), fat (18%) and minerals and vitamins (20%).The nutritional value of pumpkin seeds is different from that of leaves. The protein contents of seeds and leaves are 20.5g and 2.9g, respectively. Seeds have high nutritive and calorific values which make it necessary in diets. Fluted pumpkin is of local ethnobotanical importance in the folklore, dietary and cropping systems of Igbos. The level of iron is the factor for use of the leaf extraction as blood tonic which can be administered to weak patient.
Nitrogen is usually ascribed with the building up of leaf tissues. This is one of the essential elements most commonly used to increase crop yield. It is a constituent of all protein and chlorophyll.
JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
According to Jariene, the seeds contain about 50% fats, approximately 30% protein, sugar, B vitamins, ascorbic acid, Phytosteroles, Phytin, lecithin, oxycerotine, tyrosine, salicylic acid, and resins. The seed oil is also rich in glycerides of linoleic, oleinic, palmitin, and stearine acids. Omega-3 fatty acid will be found to be present in pumpkin seeds; it helps to prevent artheriosclerosis, high blood pressure, and heart diseases; it also stimulates metabolism of accumulated fats.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
Main objective
- The effect rate of fertilizer application on vegetable (telfairia occidentalis)
Specific Objective
- To examine the chemical component of fertilizer
- To study the nutritional effect of fertilizer in telfairia occidentalis
MATERIAL AND METHOD
Experiments will be conductedon 2014 cropping seasons at the Imo State Polytechnic Umuagwo, Imopoly farm. The bimodal rainfall of the area is between 1100mm and 1250mm of rain. The temperature regime is high all year round. The mean minimum temperature is 280C and the maximum temperature is 330C with a high humidity of about 740C all year round except in January when the dry wind blows from the North. During the period of the experiment, the mean minimum temperature is 270C and the maximum temperature is 310C with a high humidity of about 75% while the rainfall of the area is 1126mm of rain.
