EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF COMPOST MANURE AND INROGANIC FERTILIZER ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF FLUTED PUMPKIN (Telfairia occidentalis HOOK. F.) IN KEFFI, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA.

Effects of NPK, cow dung, and poultry on the growth and yield of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook f) was conducted at the research farm, Botanical Garden of the Department of Biological Sciences, Nasarawa State University, Keffi. This experiment consists of three treatments and one control. The NPK, Cow dung, poultry manure were arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and three levels of replicates. So that we have a total of twelve (12) in the experiment. It was observed in this research that the vine length was significantly increased with application of poultry manure to the soil, but application of NPK fertilizer increase the number of branches significantly at the 10WAP, also application of poultry manure increase the numbers of leaves significantly when compare to NPK fertilizer application. It was observed that at the 12WAP, there was a significant difference in the leaf diameter due to the application of poultry manure. The experiment showed that the application of poultry manure significantly increases the leaf length, leaf diameter and vine length throughout the research. The use of poultry manure in the cultivation of fluted pumpkin in Keffi Nasarawa state is recommended.