Impact of Different Levels of Fermented Cow Manure on the Growth, Yield and Quality of Clitoria (Clitoria ternata L.)

Abstract

This study was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Kordofan, El-Obeid, Sudan, to evaluate the impact of different levels of fermented cow manure on the growth, yield, and quality of Clitoria forage (Clitoria ternatea L.). The experiment included five treatments, comprising control (no manure) and fermented cow manure application rates of 5, 10, 20, and 40 tons/ha (denoted as CM0, CM1, CM2, CM3, and CM4, respectively). The treatments were arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. The parameters assessed included plant height (cm), number of branches per plant, number of leaves per branch, stem diameter (cm), leaf area (cm²), leaf-to-stem ratio, membrane stability index (MSI%), relative water content (RWC%), fresh forage yield (tons/ha), dry forage yield (tons/ha), protein content (%), fiber content (%), and ash content (%). Results indicated significant variations among treatments for most measured parameters. Fermented cow manure enhanced growth characteristics and forage yield, with the highest fresh and dry forage yields achieved at 40 tons/ha.  Furthermore, the application of 40 tons/ha of fermented cow manure markedly increased protein (28.13%) and ash (11.58%) content, while reducing fiber content compared to the control treatment, which recorded the lowest values for protein (18.37%) and ash (8.14%) content. Based on these findings, it is recommended that applying fermented cow manure at a rate of 40 tons/ha is optimal for maximizing growth, yield, and quality of Clitoria ternatea forage.