EFFET DES FERTILISANTS ORGANIQUES SUR LA CONSERVATION DE GBOMA (SOLANUM MACROCARPUM L.) DANS LA PREFECTURE DE LA KOZAH AU TOGO

Soil fertility in Togo is declining, hindering agricultural production, particularly for vegetable crops like Solanum macrocarpum, locally known as gboma. This study examined the impact of various fertilizers poultry manure, compost, biofertilizer (bio-mol), NPK mineral fertilizer (15:15:15), and a control without fertilizer on the growth, biomass, and shelf life of gboma in the Kara region. The results showed that poultry manure significantly promoted plant growth, reaching a height of 21.31 cm and an average leaf weight of 45.13 g. Compared to the control, poultry manure increased fresh biomass by 70% and outperformed both compost and NPK by 40%. In terms of preservation, leaves treated with poultry manure demonstrated the best resistance to drying at room temperature, extending their shelf life from 9 to 12 days, compared to 7 days for the control. Under refrigeration, all treatments showed similar performance, but poultry manure reduced decay rates compared to the control. Biochemical analyses revealed a water content of 85.4% and a high concentration of vitamin C (4.69 mg) for the leaves treated with poultry manure, versus only 82% water for the control leaves. These results suggest that poultry manure is the most effective fertilizer for improving productivity and post-harvest preservation of gboma.