Comparative effects of composts and chicken droppings on the production of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) grown in the soil of Kinshasa

Abstract

A study was conducted on the valorization of organic waste used as organic fertilizer after composting, in tomato cultivation in urban areas. This study was composed of four treatments: a control (T0) that received no amendment, a compost (T1) produced from green waste of Manihot esculenta Crantz and dry leaves of Ficus bubu, a compost (T2) based on green waste of Manihot esculenta Crantz, dry leaves of Ficusbubu and chicken droppings, and a treatment (T3) composed only of uncomposted chicken droppings. Samples of all four treatments were taken and analysed in the laboratory for chemical and agronomic characterisation. The treatments were distributed in a randomized complete block design. Data collected on root weight, crown diameter, plant height, number of fruits, fruit diameter, fruit weight and average fruit weight per treatment were subjected to analysis of variance and also multivariate analysis (PCA). The results showed that compost 1 (T1), compost 2 (T2) and uncomposted chicken droppings (T3) gave the highest yields (7.6 t.ha-1, 6.6 t.ha-1 and 6.3 t.ha-1 respectively) compared to 3.9 t.ha-1 for the control (T0).