Effects of soilless and soilbased nursery media on seedling emergence, growth and response to water stress of African breadfruit (Treculia africana Decne)

The production of high quality seedlings for orchard and plantation establishment involves several cultural inputs. The quality of potting media perhaps stands out as the most important. Therefore, the effects of three soilless media and a soil-based medium on seedling emergence, seedling growth and susceptibility to water stress were studied using African breadfruit as a test crop. Most of the seedling parameters evaluated was significantly influenced by the potting media used. Percent seedling emergence and whole-plant dry matter content were higher in media 1:2:3 ricehull-based (ricehull :poultry manure : river sand, RHB) and 2:3:1 RHB. After induction of water stress, seedling grown in these media remained turgid for a longer period than those grown in media 1:2:3 soil-based (top soil : poultry manure : river sand, SB) and 1:4:3 RHB. Seedlings raised in the soil-based medium were generally poorer in most of the parameters measured. General growth responses and reaction to water stress suggested that media 1:2:3 RHB and 2:3:1 RHB were the best. Seedling grown in these media had delayed water stress symptom expression suggesting a better water economy

Relationships between phenological and yield traits of the plant crop and the first ratoon crop of musa genotypes as affected by ploidy level and genomic group

Multiple correlation of phenological and yield traits of the plant crop (PC) with those of the first ratoon crop (RC) of 36 Musa genotypes was carried out. The genotypes were landraces (triploid) belonging to AAA, AAB and ABB Musa genomic groups and hybrids (mostly tetraploid) thereof. The plants were grown under four environments for two crop cycles (PC and RC). Genomic group and ploidy level significantly affected the number of traits correlated and their coefficient of correlation. Plantains (AAB) had fewer and weaker correlated traits than cooking bananas (ABB) and dessert bananas (AAA). In all the genomic groups plant height of RC at harvest of the PC was significantly correlated with days to flowering and yield of the RC. In the hybrid genotypes, the black sigatoka disease score of the PC correlated with days to flowering, bunch weight and harvest interval in RC. Yield of RC was predictable from the yield of PC (except for the plantains). It was conclusive from the study that early selection of sucker for the ratoon crop and other crop management options that will enhance healthy growth of the PC will sustain high yield in Musa genotypes

Intra- and inter- correlative responses among fruits physical traits, seedling growth parameters and fruit and nut proximate qualities of the Nigerian shea nut tree (Vitellaria paradoxa c. f. Haertn)

Seedling growth of Vitellaria paradoxa C. F. Gaertn (shea nut tree) is extremely slow. Identification of any nut trait that shows positive and significant relationship with vigorous seedling growth could therefore, be an important selection index. Besides, fruit preferences among indigenous peoples are associated with high pulp proximate quality while highly valued nut has strong relationship with fat content. Thus, intra- and inter- correlative responses among fruits physical traits, seedling growth parameters and fruit and nut proximate qualities of V. paradoxa were studied. Agronomically important seedling characters of nine provenances across Nigeria’s savanna zone were also examined with principal components analysis (PCA). Results indicated that the first three PCA axes retained explained 96.3% of total variability among seedling provenances, revealing that leaf area, seedling girth, plant height and number of leaves are more promising traits for shea seedling classification in Nigeria. Multiple correlation analysis showed that nut length had high and significant linkage with number of leaves, leaf width, leaf area and seedling girth. Nut width also correlated positively with leaf length, leaf area and seedling girth (

Genetic And Cropping System Effects On Yield And Postharvest Characteristics Of Musa Species In Southeastern Nigeria

Post-harvest characteristics of 36 Musa genotypes were evaluated under two cropping systems. Genotypes included AAA x AA, AAB x AA and ABB x AA (or BB) and their landraces AAA, AAB and ABB grown under monocropping and in the alleys of natural multi-species hedgerows. Significant differences (P < 0.01) were found among genomic groups for bunch and fruit weights, pulp yield, dry matter content, pulp firmness, shelf-life, and market potential index. Cropping systems were also significant for all traits except for pulp firmness and shelf-life. Significant interactions between genotypes and cropping systems were found for all traits except dry matter content and pulp firmness. Tetraploid hybrids had lower pulp firmness but higher shelf-life and market potential index than the triploid genotypes. Among the triploid landraces, AAA genotypes had longer shelf-life but expressed the lowest market potential index due to their lower pulp yield and dry matter content. The AAB x AA hybrids consistently expressed higher pulp firmness, shelf-life and market potential index than other tetraploid hybrids. The alley-cropping system resulted in higher values for most post-harvest characteristics than the monocropping system.Nous avons \ue9valu\ue9 les caract\ue9ristiques post-r\ue9colte de 36 g\ue9notypes de Musa comprenant des \ue9cotypes AAA, AAB et ABB et des hybrides AAA x AA, AAB x AA et ABB x AA (ou BB) dans deux syst\ue8mes culturaux: monoculture et culture intercalaire. Des diff\ue9rences significatives (P < 0.01) ont \ue9t\ue9 observ\ue9es entre les g\ue9notypes pour le poids du r\ue9gime, le poids des fruits, le rendement en pulpe, la teneur en mati\ue8re s\ue8che, la consistance de la pulpe, la dur\ue9e de vie verte et l'indice de march\ue9. On a \ue9galement observ\ue9 un effet siginificatif des syst\ue8mes culturaux pour tous les traits sauf la consistance de la pulpe et la dur\ue9e de vie verte. De m\ue0me, l'interaction entre g\ue9notypes et syst\ue8mes culturaux \ue9tait significative pour tous les caract\ue8res observ\ue9s, hormis la teneur en mati\ue8re s\ue8che et la consistance de la pulpe. Par rapport aux g\ue9notypes triplo\uefdes, les hybrides t\ue9traplo\uefdes ont exprim\ue9 une dur\ue9e de vie verte plus longue et un indice de march\ue9 plus grand, mais leur pulpe \ue9tait moins consistante que celle des triplo\uefdes. Parmi les cultivars triplo\uefdes, les types AAA ont exprim\ue9 la meilleure dur\ue9e de vie verte mais aussi l'indice de march\ue9 le moins bon, \ue0 cause de leur faible rendement en pulpe et de leur faible teneur en mati\ue8re s\ue8che. Les hybrides AAB x AA ont invariablement pr\ue9sent\ue9 une meilleure consistance de la pulpe, une meilleure dur\ue9e de vie verte et un meilleur indice de march\ue9 que les autres hybrides t\ue9traplo\uefdes. On a obtenu en g\ue9n\ue9ral de meilleures caract\ue9ristiques post-r\ue9colte en culture intercalaire plut\uf4t qu'en monoculture