Growth and yield of brassica oleracea in response to phosphorus fertilizer application

Abstract

Cabbage is an important vegetable that is grown around the world because of its nutritional content and for medicinal purposes. Plant nutrients can deplete due to continuous cultivation, this necessitates the addition of fertilizer to sustain production. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of phosphorus fertilizer on the vegetative and reproductive growth of cabbage growth in the Western Cape. A two-season experiment was conducted using a complete randomized complete block design (RCBD), with four replicates. Treatments of phosphorus (Triple superphosphate) at four levels 109, 163.5, 218, and 222.5kg/ha. Data collection on the vegetative and yield was recorded and analyzed using the SPSS software. The results showed that treatment did not have a significant difference (p>0.05) on vegetative and yield and generally p fertilizer at 218 kg/ha increased all the measured parameters. An increase in yield during the last season of the experiment was also noted.