Vegetative Growth Response of Eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.) to Combined Effects of Fertilizer Types and Irrigation Regimes Applied on Littoral Tertiary Soil in Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

The use of manures and irrigation systems are essential ways to improve the fertility of coastline poor soils in Côte d’Ivoire and to optimize crop yields at any time of the year. The present study aims to identify the best manures and irrigation systems suitable for the vegetative growth of eggplant on the tertiary poor soils of the coast in Côte d'Ivoire. For this purpose, combinations of fertilizer (urea and organic manure from chicken droppings) and irrigation techniques (manual watering and drip irrigation system) were tested in Fisher block design. So, vegetative growth variables of Eggplant, Aub 21N / 06, grown on tertiary soil at the Marc Delorme research station of the Centre National de Recherche Agronomique (CNRA) in Southern Côte d'Ivoire were evaluated. The results showed that the growth dynamics of collar circumference, height and leaf production of eggplant irrigated by drip system and fertilized with organic manure from chicken droppings was significantly higher. The eggplants that received a treatment composed by organic or chemical manure without irrigation and those without manure and irrigation expressed lower vegetative growth. The organic manure from chicken droppings associated with the drip irrigation regime had a significant beneficial effect on the average growth rates of the collar circumference (0.0035 cm.day-1), height (0.5669 cm.day-1) and leaf production (3.12 leaves.day-1) of eggplant. It appears that organic manure from chicken droppings associated with drip irrigation regime is an agricultural innovation to disseminate to market gardeners to cultivate the eggplant on littoral tertiary soil.