Cattle manure amended soil influences germination and early seedling development of marula (Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich) Hochst.)

Introduction The choice of growth media is an important aspect of nurseries, as it affects the success and quality of the seedling establishment. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of soil amendment on germination and growth of marula. Methods The soil was amended with cattle manure at the following ratios: T1 (5 parts topsoil: 1-part sand: 4 parts cattle manure), T2 (6 parts topsoil: 1 part sand: 3 parts cattle manure), T3 (4 parts topsoil: 2 parts sand: 4 parts cattle manure), T4 (5 parts topsoil: 2 parts sand: 3 parts cattle manure), T5 (4 parts topsoil: 4 parts sand: 2 parts cattle manure), T6 (topsoil only), T7 (Cattle manure only), and T8 (sand only). A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used and replicated four times. Results The effects of soil amendment on germination were highly significant (p < 0.001) at two weeks, three weeks, and four weeks after planting. Marula seeds that were grown in a medium of cattle manure only showed the highest final germination percentage (92.25%) after six weeks. Plant height was also significantly influenced by growth media at eight (p < 0.001) and 12 (p < 0.05) weeks after planting. The effects of growth media were also highly significant (p < 0.001) on the germination index, germination rate, and vigor index. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in root lengths were recorded 90 days after planting. Discussion From these results, it can be concluded that soil amendment with cattle manure enhances germination and early seedling growth and development of marula.