OPTIMIZING TRANSPLANTING DENSITY AND FERTILIZERS TYPE TO IMPROVE BLACK NIGHTSHADE (SOLANUM NIGRUM L.) PRODUCTION IN COTE D IVOIRE

Consumed in sauce as a leafy vegetable rich in micronutrients, black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) is a cultivated plant in Côte d'Ivoire. In an attempt to boost its low yield, limited by lack of a conventional technical itinerary, the effect of transplanting density and fertilizer type was studied. After transplanting seedlings carrying 3 to 4 leaves at four densities (25, 35, 70, 120 plants/m2), they received four fertilizers [two organic (pig manure and cowmanure), one mineral (NPK) and one unfertilized control] at the experimental field of Nangui Abrogoua University. Plants were regularly monitored, and growth parameters (plant height and diameter, number and size of leaves) and leafy shoot yield were assessed using the analysis of variance test (ANOVA 2).