Effects of N fertilization on the vegetative growth of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) seedlings

Author: I. O. O. Aiyelaagbe ^1*, J. A. Fagbayide ² and A. I. Makinde ²

Received 4 March 2005, accepted 20 August 2005.

Abstract

The effects of N fertilization on the growth and dry matter production of juvenile-transition phase of yellow passion fruit plants were investigated in pot experiments conducted in 1996 and 2002/2003. The study covered the juvenile and transition stages of growth. In the first trial, the plants received N at rates equivalent to 30-120 kg ha^-1. In the second trial, the plants received N at rates equivalent to 60-480 kg ha^-1. In both trials, no N pots served as control. In the first trial, application of N 30-120 kg ha^-1 had no consistent effects on the growth and dry matter accumulation by the passion fruit plants compared with control. In the second trial, the effects of N 0-120 kg ha^-1 on vine length, number of leaves, leaf area, number of branches and dry matter production were similar to those observed in the earlier trial. However, application of N 240 or 480 kg ha^-1 consistently significantly enhanced vine length, number of leaves, leaf area, number of branches and total dry matter accumulation of the plants. Except for number of branches, the effects of N 240 kg ha^-1 on other growth parameters were often not significantly different from those of N 480 kg ha^-1. Since, number of branches is positively related to fruit yield, thus N 480 kg ha^-1 which produced the largest number of branches is considered the optimum N rate for the vegetative growth of yellow passion fruit during the juvenile and transition stages of growth.