Response of Polynesian Arrowroot Tacca leontopetaloides to Fertilizer and Intra-Row Spacing at Garkawa

A field experiment was conducted at the Plateau State College of Agriculture, Garkawa to investigate the response of Polynesian arrowroot to fertilizer sources and intra-row spacing in 2011 and 2012 wet seasons.  Treatments consisted of three intra-row spacing (20, 25, 30cm) and five fertilizer sources (NPK, poultry manure, goat manure, cow dung and a control).These were factor ally combined and laid on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Polynesian arrowroot growth related characters (plant height, Leaf area) increased with decreased levels of intra-row spacing. Similarly, number of tillers/ha as well as fresh bulb weight kg/ha increased with decreased levels of intra-row spacing. The use of NPK fertilizer and poultry manure gave significant differences among all the fertilizer sources tried in both years. It is therefore concluded that among the intra-row spacing tried 20 and 25 cm were most appropriate, while among fertilizer sources tried NPK fertilizer and poultry manure were most appropriate. Keywords: Polynesian arrowroot, Fertilizer, Manure, Intra-row spacin

Asparagine in plants

Interest in plant asparagine has rapidly taken off over the past 5 years following the report that acrylamide, a neurotoxin and potential carcinogen, is present in cooked foods, particularly carbohydrate-rich foods such as wheat and potatoes which are subjected to roasting, baking or frying at high temperatures. Subsequent studies showed that acrylamide could be formed in foods by the thermal degradation of free asparagine in the presence of sugars in the Maillard reaction. In this article, our current knowledge of asparagine in plants and in particular its occurrence in cereal seeds and potatoes is reviewed and discussed in relation to acrylamide formation. There is now clear evidence that soluble asparagine accumulates in most if not all plant organs during periods of low rates of protein synthesis and a plentiful supply of reduced nitrogen. The accumulation of asparagine occurs during normal physiological processes such as seed germination and nitrogen transport. However, in addition, stress-induced asparagine accumulation can be caused by mineral deficiencies, drought, salt, toxic metals and pathogen attack. The properties and gene regulation of the enzymes involved in asparagine synthesis and breakdown in plants are discussed in detail