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Perera UDT1 *, Subasinghe S1 , Adikaram KKLB2 , Kumarasinghe HKMS1 and Piyaratne MKDK2
1Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka
2Computer Unit, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka
Abstract
In Sri Lanka the demand for fresh vegetables has been increasing all over the country. Therefore, up country
vegetable cultivation should be promoted in low and mid country areas. However, there is no proper fertilization
pattern to enhance the growth and yield of cabbage grown in the low country. Thus, an experiment was
performed in a protected house located in the low country wet zone of Sri Lanka from October 2021 to January
2022 to evaluate the effect of the rate and split application of Albert’s fertilizer on the growth and yield
parameters of Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var Green Coronet). The study was carried out in a two-factor
factorial (2 x 3) Completely Randomized Design with four replicates. The two factors tested were, the rate of
fertilizer; A1 (1.0 g/plant/day), A2 (1.5 g/plant/day), A3 (2.0 g/plant/day) and the number of split applications of fertilizer; F1 (1 time/plant/day), F2 (2 times/plant/day), F3 (3 times/plant/day). Treatments were applied daily. The
average day temperature inside the protected house was 32.5 °C and the average night temperature inside the
protected house was 27 °C. As growth parameters plant height, the number of loose leaves per plant and canopy
diameter were measured once a fortnight while cabbage heads and total biomass yield were measured as yield
parameters, 100 days after transplanting. Measured data were analyzed using ANOVA. Subsequently, means
were separated by least significant difference (LSD) at 5% probability level. There is no significant effect of the
split of Albert’s fertilizer and no interaction effect between the rate and split of fertilizer. Plant height, the
number of loose leaves per plant and canopy diameter were significantly influenced by the rate of fertilizer. 2.0 g/
plant/day treatment gave significantly higher values for the above growth parameters with compared to the
treatments of 1 and 1.5 g/plant/day. Even though, no significant difference was recorded in total biomass yield, the
significantly highest head yield was recorded in 1.0 g of Albert’s fertilizer/plant/day treatment. When considering
the economic yield, it can conclude that the treatment of 1.0 g/plant/day is the best fertilizer rate for cabbage
grown under protected houses in the low country wet zone of Sri Lanka. Also, fertilizer application at once a day
can be recommended when considering energy use efficiency since there is no significant effect of split application
of fertilizer.
Keywords: Albert’s fertilizer, Cabbage, Fertilizer rate, Protected house, Split application
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