Full Length Research Paper
Effect of different tillage
practices on cassava production
in Osun state of Nigeria
Wasiu Agunbiade LAMIDI
Abstract
Different tillage practices
on cassava (Manihot
esculentum) plants,
roots’ yield and quality in
Aba Odan farm via Ileogbo in
Ayedire Local Government
Area of Osun State of
Nigeria were studied. The
objective was to find out
the type of tillage system
that will give highest yield
and quality of some of its
extracts. Acreages of land
were planted with bitter
variety 98/0581 fresh
cassava stems. Three
treatments: zero tillage
(0), minimum tillage (1) and
maximum tillage (2) were
used; each treatment
replicated thrice; 0A, 0B,
0C; 1A, 1B, 1C and 2A, 2B,
2C respectively. The heights
of cassava plants and
leaves’ areas in the first
three months were measured
at ten day intervals. Leaf
Area Index (LAI), throughout
the first nine months,
weights of harvested roots
per acre and quality (using
proximate analysis) in term
of its paste were also
determined. One-way ANOVA
statistics was used for data
analysis to test for
significance and means’
separations. Significant
effects (p < 0.05) of
minimum and maximum tillage
were observed respectively
on yield (p = 0.027, 0.014)
and quality of cassava
tubers through proximate
analysis (p = 0.041, 0.008).
There were stronger
correlations depicting
stronger relationships (R2
= 0.999, 0.997, 0.999)
between tillage methods and
LAI, vis-a-vis between
tillage methods and growth
rate with stronger
correlation, R2 =
0.991, 0.995 and 0.998
respectively for zero,
minimum and maximum tillage
practices. Maximum tillage
system had highest area for
longest leaves at 70, 80 and
90 days and zero tillage had
less. The maximum tillage
has higher LAI than any
other treatments. The
highest yield of cassava
roots was 4,532 kg/acre in
the maximum tillage and zero
tillage gave lowest of 4,000
kg/acre representing 5.2%
increment of maximum over
minimum tillage. For
farmers, although, cost of
operations that will be
incurred in maximum tillage
may be higher than others,
resulted increase yield will
make its turn over better
than others, thus farmers
are encouraged to till soil
to maximum level.
Key
words: Maximum
tillage, Minimum tillage,
Osun State
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