Effect of cropping system and age of plant at harvest on tuber rot and performance of elite cassava varieties in derived savannah

Devastated tuber rot disease among farmers prompted the evaluation of the elite improved varieties in the intercrop and the practice of delaying harvesting when there is glut in the market necessitated this study. Trial was carried out at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta between 2011 and 2014 to evaluate yield performance of 21 elite cassava varieties planted as sole crop verse intercropped and harvested at different age. The 2 x 21 x 3 factorial experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The tuber yield obtained from sole plot in 2011/2012 cropping season was significantly higher than intercrop whereas those of 2012/2014 cropping season were similar. Land Equivalent Ratio was above one in both cropping seasons indicating that the performance of the improved varieties in intercrop was efficient. The pooled mean tuber yield showed that TMS 30572, 92/0326, 95/0211, 01/1371, 00/0338, 01/0046, 00/0098, 01/1097, 01/0085, 98/0581 and 98/510 were among the top eight varieties. Harvesting could be delayed up to 15 months after planting to reduce tuber rot

Effects of tuber size, soaking hours and sprouting media on sprouting of tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L. var. sativa) tubers

<p>Tiger nut, <em>Cyperus esculentus </em>L., is one of the underutilized and neglected food crops in most parts of the world leading to limited information on its production technology. A trial arranged in a 3×4×2 factorial of a completely randomized design was conducted in a green house of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, to evaluate the effects of tuber size (large, medium and small), soaking duration (0, 24, 48 and 72 hours) and sprouting media (cotton wool and polythene bag) on the sprouting of tiger nut. Significant interactions were observed between growth media and soaking hours as well as between tuber sizes and soaking hours on the sprouting of tiger nut. Soaking beyond 24 hours before placement in sprouting medium led to a significant reduction in number of sprouted tubers in polythene bags. Small sized tubers had reduced (<em>p&lt;</em>0.05) number of sprouts when soaked beyond 24 hours. Sprouting of tiger nut was better using medium size tubers soaked for 24 hours and placed between layers of cotton wool.<br /><strong></strong></p

Response of lowland rice-ratooned rice-fluted pumpkin sequence to fertilizer in rainfed inland valley in derived savannah of Nigeria

Trial was carried out at Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria between 2010 and 2012 to determine response of lowland rice-ratooned rice-fluted pumpkin sequence to fertilizer. Experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design arranged in split-split plot in three replicates. Three rice genotypes constituted the main treatments sown in May and harvested in August. Split fertilizers application constituted sub-plot treatments were 90:45:45 (single dose), 45:22.5:22.5 &amp; 45:22.5:22.5 (1:1), 30:15:15 &amp; 60:30:30 (1:2) and 60:30:30 &amp; 30:15:15 (2:1) NPK ha-1 at tillering and heading. N-fertilizer rates were  sub-sub plot treatment and applied to ratooned ‘NERICA L-42’ had the tallest plants compare to others. ‘Ofada’ had the lowest number of days to 50 % flowering for main and ratooned rice, while ‘NERICA L-42’ had the highest number of days to 50 % heading. ‘NERICA L-41’ variety had the highest grain yield in main and ratooned rice. Based on this study, ‘NERICA L-41’ plus its ratooned rice obtained from single dose NPK and zero N-fertilizer plots produced grain yield of 4.69 t ha-1.</p