Abstract:
Olcra (Abelmoschus esculentus) has gained popularity in various neotropical regions of
the world. It holds significant agronomic importance due to its adaptability to various
environmental conditions, resilience to pests and diseases, and nutritional value. Potato
peels are utilized to produce nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium-rich fertilizers for the
cultivation of crops. Hence, this experiment was carried out to study the effect of a
potato peel-based fertilizer formulation on growth and yield responses in okra. It was
designed in a completely randomized design with six treatments with five replications
each, including a control (T0) with 100% recommended amount of inorganic fertilizer,
treatments with 50%o recommended amount of inorganic fertilizer (T1), direct
application of potato peel fertilizer with 50o% recommended amount of inorganic
fertilizer (T2), potato peel powder with 50% recommended amount of inorganic
fertilizer (T3), potato peel tea with 500% recommended amount of inorganic fertrlizer
(T4), and fermented potato peel liquid fertllizer with 50% recommended amount of
inorganic fertllizer (T5). The soil application of a potato peel fertilizer had significant
(P<0.05) effect on growth and yield responses in okra when compared to the control
treatments. The results indicated that okra plants treated with fermented potato peel
liquid fertilizer with 50% recommended amount of inorganic fertrlizer (T5) exhibited
superior growth parameters and yield compared to other treatments. Specifically, plants
in T5 showed significant increases in plant height, number of leaves, number of flowers,
number of pods 4.00 + 0.31, pod weight 56.40 +2.94, root length 8.40 * 0.51, andpod
length 16.80 + 0.80 Conversely, I00% recommended amount of inorganic fertrlizer
(T0) did not significantly enhance growth and yield, suggesting a possible negative
impact. Based on the results, it is recommended that a fermented potato peel liquid
fertilizer with 50% recommended amclunt of inorganic fertilizer be applied to okra
crops for the best results.
