Response of False horn plantain to different plant densities and frequency of handweeding

Abstract

The study, which was carried out at the Crops Research Institute, Kumasi, Ghana, from April 1992 to March 1995, aimed at determining (i) the optimum plant density of False horn plantain for maximum yield, and (ii) the optimum frequency of handweeding for economic returns. Results indicated that the optimum plant density for False horn was 1667 plants per hectare. At this density, the significantly highest bunch weight was 8.0 kg per plant. In Ghana, plantain is mostly sold as bunches and, therefore, bunch weight per plant rather than yield per hectare is of paramount importance. Handweeding, as weed control measure, proved to result in high economic returns. Keeping the field weedfree for the first 4 weeks followed by slashing every 12 weeks (4-IWP W 12-FUS) produced the highest economic returns of 71.5 per cent over the farmer's practice of weeding at only 12-week intervals from planting.


Ghana Jnl agric Sci. Vol.32(2) 1999: 177-183