ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine the effect of soil application of fresh and burnt peels of yam on chemical properties of the soil, and pod yield of okra. The experiment was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), replicated three times, with 4 treatments: T₁ (the control, which had no yam peels applied), T₂ to which fresh yam peels were applied,  T₃ to which burnt yam peels were applied, and T₄ which received a combination of fresh and burnt peels. The peels were applied to the soil at a uniform rate of 10kg/plot. Chemical parameters of the soil and pod yield of okra were determined. Data collected were subjected to one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), while significantly different treatment means were segregated with the use Fisher’s Least Significant Difference (FLSD) at 5% level of probability. Mean Soil pH, Available Phosphorus (AP), Total Nitrogen (TN), Organic Carbon (OC), and Organic Matter (OM) were highest in T₄. Values obtained were 6.2, 46.2mgkg^-1, 0.41%, 6.69% and 11.53% respectively. T₄ also had the highest values (in cmolkg^-1) of Ca (10.20), Mg (3.88), K (0.88) and Na (0.22). Effective Cation Exchange Capacity (ECEC) (15.46 cmolkg^-1) and Percent Base Saturation (%BS) (98%) were also highest in T₄, while the control treatment, T1, had the highest Exchangeable Acidity of 0.38cmolkg^-1. The best yield of fresh okra pods (4.31tons/plot) was also recorded in T₄ (which received a combination of fresh and burnt peels). It was concluded that incorporation of fresh and burnt peels of yam into soils will not only bring about high available nutrient elements, improve soil structure, promote soil organic matter, increase nutrient availability and ensure high yield of crops including okra, but will also reduce environmental hazards that the peels cause in communities that produce and consume lots of yam.