Effect of Cow Manure on Growth and Production of Peanut Plants in Sub Optimal Land

Aims: The study aimed to determine the effect of cow manure on the growth and yield of peanut plants

Study Design: The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design (RBD) with five treatments including the control replicated three (3) times.

Place and Duration of Study: the Field Laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture and the Laboratory of the Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Halu Oleo University, from June to October 2019

Methodology: without cow manure ( B0), using cow dung 5 t/ha(B1), 10 t/ha(B2), 15 t/ha(B3) and 20 t/ha(B4). The treatment was repeated 3 times, so that there were 15 experimental units. The variables observed were plant height, number of branches, number of leaves, leaf area, dry weight, number of pods formed, number of filled pods and productivity of peanut plants. Observation data were analyzed using variance, F-count which showed a real or very real effect followed by Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at the 95% confidence level.

Results: The results showed that cow manure treatment increased the growth of peanut plants especially the treatment cow manure at the dose of 15 t/ha in the form of filled pods, number of pods formed, and peanut plant productivity were 27.00, 35.93, and 3.62 t/ha at sub-optimal land. The application of cow manure can increase the availability of phosphorus in the soil and increase crop production. Cow manure has a phosphorus nutrient content of 0.42, 0.38 and 0.43 ppm respectively.

Conclusion: Treatment of cow manure at a dose of 15 t/ha was showed the best growth and production of peanut plants compared to other treatments.