Growth, yield and quality factors of sweetpotato (ipomoea batatas (l) lam) as affected by seedbed type and fertilizer application
Loading...
Date
2015-07-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
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.
Description
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