Optimizing yield, nitrogen uptake and nitrogen use efficiency in fluted pumpkin through fertilizer microdosing
Francis Olatoberu, Mary Idowu, Durodoluwa Oyedele, Christianah Oladoye, Omotayo Akinremi, Ifeoluwa Oluwaponle, Ojo Adekunle, Odunayo Adebooye
Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Belgrade 2025 DOI: 10.2298/jas2502145o (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized complete block split plot design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) varieties Ilesa and Ogbomoso grown in southwestern Nigeria |
| Interventions | Urea fertilizer Organic fertilizer |
| Dose | 0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 kg N ha-1 as urea; 5 tons ha-1 organic fertilizer |
| Topics | Microdosing |
| Key points | Fresh fluted pumpkin yields increased with urea nitrogen up to 80 kg N per hectare, and Ilesa yielded more than Ogbomoso. The authors conclude that the best production method in southwestern Nigeria is 5 tons per hectare of organic fertilizer combined with a microdose of 20 to 40 kg N per hectare as urea. |
Abstract
Due to severely weathered soils and copious amounts of rainfall, the timing and rate of fertilizer application to enhance yields, nitrogen use efficiency, and recovery of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) have been key concerns in southwestern Nigeria. The experiment was conducted using a 2 x 2 x 5 randomized complete block split plot design (RCBSPD) with four varieties. Ilesa and Ogbomoso made up the main plot, whereas the timing of urea fertilizer application and the five nitrogen levels 0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 kg ha-1 made up sub-plots. The base application of 5 tons ha-1 of organic fertilizer was added (0, 20, 40, 60 kg ha-1) a week prior to planting. We calculated the biomass yield, recoveries, and nitrogen utilization efficiency. Regarding control, 20, 80 (kg N ha-1) urea, the fresh yields in tons ha-1 were 7.7, 9.4, 10.7, and 3.3, 8.3, 9.5 (kg N ha-1) for Ilesa and Ogbomoso, respectively. The highest nitrogen use efficiency (60.26 kg N ha-1) was obtained at the rate of 40 kg N ha-1 in Ilesa, and at the rate of 20 kg N ha-1 (61.91 kg N ha-1) in Ogbomoso. A higher fresh yield was obtained in Ilesa compared to the yield in Ogbomoso. It was determined that the best method for producing fluted pumpkin in southwestern Nigeria was to combine 5 tons of organic fertilizer with a microdosing of 20 to 40 kg N ha-1 as urea.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on microdosing, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use of microdosing to predict pharmacokinetics at the therapeutic dose: Experience with 5 drugs Volunteers | 2006 | Crossover study | |
| Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing. Participants who microdose psychedelics | 2021 | Self-blinding citizen science initiative with placebo control | n = 191 |
| Microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms: a double-blind placebo-controlled study Individuals starting to microdose with psilocybin mushrooms (Psilocybe cubensis) | 2022 | Double-blind placebo-controlled experimental design | n = 34 |
| Preliminary Report on the Effects of a Low Dose of LSD on Resting-State Amygdala Functional Connectivity. Healthy young adults, 18 to 35 years old | 2019 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 20 |
| Acute Mood-Elevating Properties of Microdosed Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Healthy Volunteers: A Home-Administered Randomized Controlled Trial. Healthy male volunteers | 2023 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 80 |