Background: Organic manures are increasingly receiving worldwide interest as soil nutrient sources due to rising cost, rapid nutrient depletion and adverse environmental impact from chemical fertilizers.
Aims: The main objective of this work was to evaluate the fertilizing potential of poultry manure (PM) and cattle manure (CM) on soil fertility and the performance of cabbage (Brassica oleracea) in Dschang (West Cameroon).
Methods: A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates on a 116 m2 plot in the field enabled to study the effects of six treatments: T0 (no fertilizer/control), T1 (10 t/ha PM), T2 (10 t/ha CM), T3 (400 kg/ha NPK 20-10-10), T4 (5 t/ha CM + 200 kg/ha NPK 20-10-10) and T5 (5 t/ha PM + 200 kg/ha NPK 20-10-10). Soil samples collected before and after manure application, were analyzed for physico-chemical properties by standard methods.
Results: The results show that combined PM and CM improved the soil fertility level as well as the agronomic performances of the cabbage. There was a significant difference (P<5 %) amongst growth variables as well as amongst yield parameters. T1 recorded the highest performance for most growth and yield parameters while T0 showed the least performance. The best yield components (head diameter, head thickness and head weight) of Cabbage were obtained in T1 and T5. Economically, T1, T4 and T5 showed a benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR)>2 (thus profitable) and recommendable for popularization.
Conclusion: This study reveals that, for cabbage cultivation, farmers could use PM alone or mixed with NPK 20-10-10 or CM for maximum profit.
Key words: Cabbage, cattle manure, fertilizer economics, poultry manure, Oxisol, Cameroon Western Highlands
