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

Abstract

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 & 45:22.5:22.5 (1:1), 30:15:15 & 60:30:30 (1:2) and 60:30:30 & 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.

Keywords

• rice
• ratooned
• triple cropping sequence
• fertilizer
• inland valley
• Nigeria