EFFECTS OF PLANTING METHOD AND DIFFERENT NUTRIENT SOURCES ON THE YIELD, GROWTH AND QUALITY OF AMARANTHUS SPECIES IN NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA ZONE OF NIGERIA

Abstract

Agronomic practices which includes planting methods and nutrition’s are among the major constrains to the performance of crops in the tropics. Amaranthus cruentus is an important leafy vegetable that requires proper agronomic practices to enhance its growth, yield and quality. This research was conducted to determine the effect of nutrient sources and planting methods on the growth, yield and quality of Amaranthus cruentus. The study was conducted at University of Abuja (Latitudes 9o20” and Longitudes 7o28”), between September-January 2022. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used to lay-out the experiment, replicated three (3) times. Two (2) methods of planting (transplanting and direct sowing) and five levels of nutrient sources (poultry manure, cow dung, goat manure, NPK and control) constitute the treatments. Data were collected on plant height (cm), number of leaves, number of branches, stem girth (cm), leaf area (cm2), harvest index, yield per plot (kg) and cumulative yield (tons/ha). Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicated that planting methods had no significant differences (P<0.05) on the growth and yield parameters of A. cruentus. The study also showed that poultry manure and NPK supported significantly taller plant, higher number of leaves, higher number of branches, wider shoot girth, as well as higher yield per plot and cumulative yield at (P< 0.05), at Abuja, compared to other sources of nutrients. Publishing of this paper sponsored by the Obeng Prime LLC (https://obengprime.com; Saint Petersburg, Russia).

Keywords

• planting methods
• different nutrient sources
• amaranthus species
• northern guinea savanna
• nigeria