Growth, yield and quality factors of sweetpotato (ipomoea batatas (l) lam) as affected by seedbed type and fertilizer application

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2015-07-12
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A Field experiment was conducted at CSIR-Crops Research Institute, Fumesua in 2013 to determine the effect of seedbed type (ridge and mound) and fertilizer application (chicken manure, NPK 15-15-15 and combination of the two) on growth, yield and quality factors of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L) Lam). The experimental design used was a 2x4 factorial with treatments arranged in RCBD design. The fertilizers applied were: (i) recommended chicken manure (6 t/ha); (ii) recommended NPK, 15-15-15 (200kg/ha); (iii) ½ chicken manure + ½ NPK (3 t/ha + 100 kg/ha); and no chicken manure and NPK fertilizer (control). The seedbed types used were (i) ridges and (ii) mounds. Each treatment was replicated thrice. ‘Sauti’, an improved sweetpotato variety released by CSIR-CRI was used. The results showed significant higher effects of amended treatments on growth, yield and quality factors of sweetpotato than the control. The combined fertilizer treatment effect enhanced growth and yield which resulted in high storage root yield (number of roots and roots weight) on ridges. Chicken manure only treatment effect was high on leaf size and vine length, therefore promoting high vegetative part. The results of the study showed that, the effect of fertilizer application enhanced some quality factors of sweetpotato specifically on mounds. The results indicated that combining inorganic and organic fertilizers resulted in better root yield than separate application. Also ridge seedbed appeared better than mound seedbed.
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Thesis submitted to the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree, Master of Philosophy in Agronomy (Crop Physiology), 2015
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