EFFECT OF COW DUNG AND NPK 15:15:15 FERTILIZER ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF OKRA [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench] IN MUBI NORTH, ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

A field experiment was conducted at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/ Tree Crop Production (TCP) Teaching and Research Farm, Adamawa State University, Mubi, during the 2025 rainfall cropping season to evaluate the effects of fertilizer sources on the growth and yield of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench). Treatments included 300 kg/ha Nitrogen Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) 15:15:15 (T1), 20 t/ha cow dung (T2), and a control (T3), arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Growth and yield parameters were recorded at 3, 6, 8, 9, and 10 weeks after sowing (WAS). Results showed that NPK significantly (p ≤ 0.05) enhanced plant growth and yield. at 9 WAS, T1 recorded the highest plant height (65.41 cm), number of leaves (18.73), and stem girth (2.43 cm), compared to T2 (60.33 cm, 16.42 leaves, 2.18 cm) and T3 (46.27 cm, 13.25 leaves, 1.74 cm). Days to first and 50% flowering were shortest under T1 (41.22 and 47.35 days, respectively), longer under T2 (43.14 and 49.61 days), and longest in the control (46.88 and 53.42 days). Yield components followed the same trend: number of fruits per plant (9.41, 8.26, 6.23), fruit length (14.22 cm, 13.15 cm, 11.05 cm), fruit weight (18.64 g, 16.52 g, 13.84 g), and 100-seed weight (6.83 g, 6.15 g, 5.42 g**) for T1, T2, and T3, respectively. In conclusion, NPK 15:15:15 at 300 kg/ha significantly improved okra growth and yield, while cow dung at 20 t/ha offered moderate improvement over the control. These results indicate that NPK is the most effective fertilizer for optimum okra production in Mubi Northern Guinea Savannah environment. It could be recommended that farmers in Mubi and similar agro-ecological zones should adopt Treatment T1 for better growth and yield performance.