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EFFECTS OF SIZE AND SPACING OF MINITUBERS ON YIELD OF THREE SELECTED YAM CULTIVARS IN THE HUMID TROPICS OF NIGERIA


J.E.G. IKEORGU

Abstract

Studies were conducted in 2000 and 2001 at Umudike Nigeria Umudike (50 27'N; 70 32'E) to determine the best spacing arrangement for growing minitubers for seed yam production. Three yam cultivars (D.alata cv UM 680) and D.rotundata (cv Abi and Obioturugo),3 intra-row spacings on 1m ridges (50cm, 75cm, 100cm) and three minituber sizes (50g, 75g 100g) were arranged in 3 x 3 x 3 split-split plot factorial arrangement of RCB design and replicated three times.



D.alata minitubers(6.91 t/ha) gave significantly (p=1%) higher seed yam tuber yield than the other two cultivars of D.rotundata,(2.08 t/ha for Abi and 1.99 t/ha for Obioturugo) irrespective of size of minituber or spacing used The results suggest that 50g minitubers should be spaced either 50cm apart on 1m ridges (4.63 t/ha) or 100cm apart (4.95 t/ha) while the 75g minitubers could be spaced at any of the three spacings evaluated (50cm=4.79 t/ha; 75cm=4.37 t/ha and 100cm=4.95 t/ha). Similarly, the 100g minitubers should be spaced at 75cm (4.95 t/ha) or at 50cm (4.74 t/ha).



[Niger Agric. J. 34 (2003): 58-62]

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