Influence of Water Regime and Fertilization on the Vegetative Parameters of Two Varieties of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench, Malvacea) in the Daloa Region, Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the effect of water stress and organo-mineral fertilization on the morphological parameters of two varieties of okra.  The treatments used (fertilizers) are: T0 (controls without amendment), T1 (4 kg chicken manure), T2 (4 kg sawdust, T3 (1 kg NPK 15-15-13 fertilizer). Three (3) types of water regimes were applied, R3 (watering 3 times per week), R5 (watering 5 times per week), and R7 (watering 7 times per week). The results obtained in terms of fertilizers applied to the soil did not show any significant influence on plant growth (p> 0.05). As for the other results, they showed that 100% of the parameters studied were influenced by the variety effect, while 33% were influenced by the watering frequency effect. Four parameters were influenced by the interaction between variety and frequency of watering, which shows that the variety used and frequency of watering play an important role in okra production. Both the organic and mineral fertilizers applied to the soil showed no significant effect on the measured parameters, which could be as a result of non-decomposition of organic matter and insufficiency in the amount of mineral fertilizers required to supply the plant needs.