*5.3.5 Fertilizer application*

Fertilizer at the rate of 60 kg N, 13 kg P and 25 kg K/ha 2 weeks after planting [81] on a sandy loam Ultisol has been reported. According to [82], this recommendation translates to application rate of 200 kg/ha N:P:K 15:15:15 and augmenting with 30 kg N/ha. Animal dung or droppings can also be used to improve soil fertility in the absence of inorganic fertilizer as application of poultry manure has been reported to influence rhizome yield of turmeric [83]. Application of lime at the rate of 2 t/ha to soil with pH of 5.91 in combination with 200 kg/ha of NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer has been reported for turmeric production on an Ultisol in South eastern Nigeria [84, 85] whereas organic manure of 30–40 t/ha plowed into the soil and inorganic fertilizer of 60 kgN, 50 kg P2O2 and 120 kg K2O per hectare in split doses is recommended by National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan [67].
