The Influence of Levels and Modes of Npk Fertilizer Application on Growth and Yield of some Improved Cassava Varieties in Nsukka, South Eastern Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
A study was carried out at the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture Experimental Farm, University of Nigeria, Nsukka to: (i) evaluate the growth and yield of four improved cassava varieties, (ii) determine optimum NPK fertilizer rate for increased productivity and (iii) determine the best mode of fertilizer application for increased productivity.
The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications.
Four varieties of cassava; TMS 01-1368 (yellow root), TME 419, TMS 98 05 05 and TMS 05 10, four levels of NPK fertilizer 0, 200, 400 and 600 and three modes of fertilizer application; single at 4 weeks after planting (WAP), split at 4 and 8 WAP and split- split at 4, 8 and 12 WAP were used for the study.
Data were collected on the following agronomic and yield parameters: survival count, number of branches, number of leaves, plant height, stem girth, canopy diameter, tubers and garri yields (tonnes/ha).
The variety TME 419 under the early establishment gave significantly (p<0.05) higher percentage survival count of 91 % although it was statistically similar to TMS 01 1368 (yellow root) with 90.8 %.
The variety TMS 98 05 05 gave significantly (p<0.05) lower survival count and was statistically similar to variety TMS 05 10.The variety TMS 98 05 05 gave significantly (p< 0.05) higher number of leaves. TME 419 variety had significantly (p< 0.05) lower number of leaves in the second and fourth month after planting.
Fertilizer application rate of 200 kg/ha gave significantly higher number of leaves at the second month after planting while 600 kg/ha gave significantly (p<0.05) higher number of leaves in the fourth month.
The control gave the lowest number of leaves in both months and the single application of fertilizer gave significantly (p<0.05) higher number of leaves of 67 at the fourth month of crop growth.
The variety TMS 98 05 05 at the early season planting gave significantly higher tuber and garri yields of and 9.68 t/ha, respectively, at 12 months of crop growth although it was statistically similar to TMS 01 05.
The rate of 200 kg/ha of NPK gave significantly (p < 0.05) higher tuber and garri yields of 24.69 t/ha and 5.15 t/ha, respectively at 6 months of growth.
However, the rate of 400 kg/ha of NPK gave significantly (p < 05) higher tuber and garri yields of 39.4 and 10.12 t/ha at 12 months of growth. The 400 kg/ha rate of fertilizer gave similar growth and yield results when compared with 600 kg/ha rate and should be adopted because of lower production cost.
Split application of fertilizer is statistically similar to split – split application and should be adopted for cassava production since it is more economical to farmers because it minimizes cost of labour for fertilizer application and reduction in total cost of cassava production.
TMS 98 05 05 that showed significantly highest growth and yield measures could be adopted for production in Nsukka in order to boost cassava production.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
ABSTRACT viii
INTRODUCTION
LITERATURE REVIEW 3
Botany of Cassava 3
Production area of cassava 3
Importance of Cassava 3
Cassava genotypes/collections and morphological descriptors 6
Genotypic Selection for Higher Crop Productivity 7
Diseases of Cassava 7
Nutritional Needs of the Soil 8
MATERIALS AND METHODS 10
Experimental site 10
Materials 10
Seasons of Cassava planting 11
Land preparation 11
Experimental Design 11
Planting 11
Fertilizer Application 11
Data collection 11
Methods of data collection 12
Agromet Data 12
Statistical Analysis 12
RESULTS 13
DISCUSSION 37
REFERENCES 41
INTRODUCTION
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz.) is a perennial shrub of the family Euphorbiaceae. It is a root crop that is propagated vegetatively from stem cuttings for commercial purposes but can also be propagated through seed.
Cassava has been a crop of South America where the indigenous tribes learnt to extract the poisonous juice from the root for the preparation of meal (Leon, 1997).
After the conquest of the Americans, the plant was taken to Africa and Asia where it became an important crop for human as well as animal consumption (Ross, 1975). The leaves and tender shoots are important source of vitamins, minerals and proteins (Balagopalan, 2002; Nweke et al., 2002).
It was introduced into the southern part of Nigeria during the period of slave trade proliferated by Portuguese explorers and colonizers in the sixteenth century. Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava.
The Presidential Cassava Transformation Initiative in Nigeria in 2003 sought to position cassava as a commodity crop and foreign exchange earner, beyond its traditional role as a food crop.
Due to its adaptability to marginal soils and erratic rainfall, high productivity per unit of land and labour and possibility of supply throughout the year has been obtained (Nweke et al., 2002).
The adaptation to different edapho-climatic conditions (Adeniji et al., 2011) makes cassava a favorite dry season crop grown in inland valleys in west and central Africa (Lahai and Ekanayake, 2009) and it is highly susceptible to excessive water (Ande, 2011).
It displays an exceptional ability to adapt to climate change (Albuquerque, 1978). Cassava can grow and yield reasonably well on soil of low fertility where production of most other crops would be uneconomical (Carter et al, 1992).
REFERENCES
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plants in Irepodun Local Government Area Kwara State Nigeria. World Journal of Agricultural Research 1 (1): 14-17. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
Adeniji O.T , Odo P.E , Ibrahim B (2011). Genetic relationship and selection indices for cassava root yield in Adamawa state. Nigeria. Af…J.Agric.Res.6:2931-2934.
Adeniji, M.O. and Obigbesan, G. O.( 1976). The effect of potassium nutrition on the bacterial wilt of cassava. Nigerian J. Plant Protection Z: 1-3.
Ahmed, M.I. (1973). Potential fodder and tuber yields of two varieties of tapioca. Malays.
Agric. J. 49(2): 166-174.
Akoroda, M.O., Dixon, A.G.O. and Okechukwu, R. U. ( 2001). Relating early growth traits to root productivity for cassava breeding schemes. Proceedings of the 7th Triennial symposium of the Rep. of International Society for Tropical Root Crops. Africa Branch held in Benin 11-17 October 1998. Compiled by Akoroda M.O. and Ngeve J. M.
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