EFFECT OF SOWING DATE AND PLANT SPACING ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND SEED YIELD OF FISH BEAN (TEPHROSIA VOGELII HOOK. F.) IN THE HUMID RAINFOREST ZONE OF NIGERIA.

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in 2019 at Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria, to evaluate the effects of sowing date and plant spacing on vegetative growth and seed yield of fish bean (Tephrosia vogelii Hook. f.). The experiment was laid out in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Treatments consisted of three sowing dates (April, May, and June) and three plant spacings (40 × 40 cm, 60 × 60 cm, and 80 × 80 cm). Data were collected on plant height, number of leaves, number of branches, biomass, days to 50% flowering, and seed yield. Results showed that sowing in April significantly (p ≤ 0.05) enhanced all vegetative growth parameters and seed yield compared with May and June sowings. Wider spacing of 80 × 80 cm produced significantly higher biomass and seed yield than narrower spacings. The interaction of April sowing and 80 × 80 cm spacing produced the highest seed yield. The study demonstrates that fish bean can be successfully cultivated in the humid rainforest zone of southern Nigeria, with optimum seed yield achieved when planting is done in April at 80 × 80 cm spacing.