Effect of Different Mulching Materials and Organic Amendment on oil Palm Seedlings Growth in the Main Nursery Using Sandy Soil

The effects of mulching materials on the growth of oil palm seedlings in sandy soil amended with empty fruit bunch (EFB) compost was carried out at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research screen house, Benin City from December 2024 to August 2025. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of EFB, sawdust and black polythene mulches on growth parameters in oil palm seedlings. Moisture management is essential in oil palm seedlings production. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of four mulching materials in 32 pots/polybags replicated three times giving a total of 96 pots/polybags. Three months old oil palm seedlings were then transplanted. Plant growth parameters were obtained at 6, 9 and 12 months after planting (MAP). The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and the means separated using Duncan multiple range test. The findings showed that plant height, stem girth and leaf number in EFB mulch had no significant difference with black polythene but differ significantly (p