EFFECT OF FIREWOOD ASH ON THE GROWTH AND PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF TELFAIRA OCCIDENTALIS IN AKWA IBOM STATE POLYTECHNIC BIOLOGICAL GARDEN, IKOT OSURUA

This research project was carried out to investigate the effect of firewood ash on the growth and proximate composition of Telfairia occidentalis obtained from Urua Otor market in Ikot Ekpene local government area and was conducted at the Botanical Garden of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua. Two beds were made and 3 seeds of Telfairia occidentalis were planted not less than 5 stands making a total of 10 stands. After one months of germination firewood ash were applied on the soil of each stands of the plant except the control plant. The results for mean shoot height (cm) in treated was higher (120.00+49.60) than the untreated (80.00+11.35); leaf area (cm2) was higher in the treated (50.03+2.88) when compared with the untreated (0.58+0.54); leaf number was higher in treated (38.00+8.33) than the untreated (14.60+1.76). The result for the proximate composition revealed that energy content (KJ/100g) was higher in treated (1,239+0.00) than the untreated (1,139+0.00), carbohydrate content (%) was higher in the treated sample (57.99+0.00) than the untreated (51.6+0.00), moisture content (%) was higher in the treated (21.10+0.11) than the untreated (18.80+0.30). This result indicates that firewood ash improve soil fertility and could also increase the nutrient composition of Telfairia occidentalis, thus the use of firewood ash in the cultivation of Telfairia occidentalis should be encouraged.