EFFECTS OF CROP SPACING AND WEEDING REGIMES ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF Dioscorea alata AND Dioscorea rotundata IN UYO, NIGERIA
Main Article Content
Abstract
Experiments were conducted at Afaha Ikot Obio Nkan, Ibesikpo Asutan LGA, Akwa Ibom State, during the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons to evaluate the effects of crop spacing and weeding regimes on yam minisett production. The experiment was arranged in a split-split plot design with three replications. White yam (Dioscorea rotundata) and water yam (Dioscorea alata) served as the main plot treatments. Crop spacings of 75 cm × 75 cm, 50 cm × 75 cm, and 50 cm × 100 cm were assigned to subplots, while weeding at 4 and 10, 6 and 12 weeks after planting and un-weeded control constituted the sub-subplot treatments. Data collected on weed density, yam minisett growth, and fresh tuber yield were analyzed using analysis of variance, and means compared using the least significant difference test at 5% probability level. Results showed that yam cultivars significantly (p ≤ 0.05) influenced growth and fresh tuber yield. Water yam produced higher fresh tuber yields than white yam. 50 cm × 75 cm spacing recorded the highest tuber yield among the spacing treatments. Early weeding at 4 and 10 WAP significantly increased fresh tuber yield compared with weeding at 6 and 12 WAP, while un-weeded plots produced the lowest yield. Significant interaction between spacing and weeding regime showed that the highest fresh tuber yields (18.62 and 19.27 t ha−1) were obtained from yam minisetts spaced at 50 cm × 75 cm and weeded at 4 and 10 WAP in both years. These practices are recommended for maximizing yam minisett yield in Uyo.
Downloads
Article Details
Issue
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Adeoluwa, O. O., & Afolayan, A. J. (2021). Nutritional composition and health promoting properties of yam (Dioscorea spp): A review. Food Reviews International. Advance online publication. doi.org
Akankpo, U. E. (2024). Traditional culture of the Ibibio: A chronicle of the Ikpe new yam festival. African Journal of Culture, History, Religion and Traditions, 7(3), 57–65. Akobundu, I. O. (1987). Weed science in the tropics: Principles and practice.
John Wiley and Sons. Alimi, T., & Manyong, V. M. (2000). Partial budget analysis for on-farm research (IITA Research Guide No. 65). International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.
Anyachebelu, A. L. (2021). Tracing the ancient landmark: Isu Ogwu in Abatete. Igbo Studies Review, 9, 121– 138.
Braum, M., Burgstaller, H., Hamdon, A. M. & Walter, H. (1991). Common Weeds of Central Sudan. Verlag. Josef Maagraf Scientific Books. MuhlstraBe 9, P. O. Box 105. D. 6992. Weikersheim. Federal Republic of Germany.
Bredeson, J. V., Lyons, J. B., Moreta, D., Wu, G., Schmutz, J., Duitama, J., & Rokhsar, D. S. (2022). Chromosome evolution and the genetic basis of agronomically important traits in greater yam. Nature Communications, 13(1), Article 2038. doi.org
Buhler, D. D. (2002). Challenges and opportunities for integrated weed management. Weed Science, 50(3), 273–280. Challenges and Opportunities for Integrated Weed Management Chauhan, B. S. (2020). Grand challenges in weed management. Frontiers in Agronomy, 1, Article 3. doi.org
Eghball, B., Ginting, D., & Gilley, J. E. (2004). Residual effects of manure and compost applications on corn production and soil properties. Agronomy Journal, 96(2), 442–447. doi.org
Epping, J., & Laibach, N. (2020). An underutilized orphan tuber crop— Chinese yam: A review. Planta, 252(4), Article 52. doi.org. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2023). FAOSTAT crops and livestock products database [Data set]. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2024). FAOSTAT: Analytical briefs: Global crop production trends. Rome, Italy. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2025). FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products [Database]. fao.org International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (2022). Yam improvement for income and food security in west Africa [Report]. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. (2023). Yam improvement for income and food security in west Africa. IITA. of crop spacing and weeding regimes on yam Bruno et al.
Kahsay, Y., Belew, D., & Abay, F. (2014). Effect of intra-row spacing on plant growth and yield of onion varieties (Allium cepa L.) at Aksum, Northern Ethiopia. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 9(10), 931– 940.
Melifonwu, A. A. (1994). Weeds and their control in cassava. African Crop Science Journal, 2(4), 529–532. [1, 2, 3]
Ndaeyo, N. U., Udo, U. K., Ikeh, A. O., Akpan, E. A., Udoh, E. I., & Akata, O. R. (2013). Effect of set weight on the growth and yield of some cocoyam species in Uyo, South-Eastern Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of CropScience,
Otegbayo, B. O., Farinu, S. O., Alamu, A. T., Oyewole, O. B., & Olatunde, B. R. (2020). Processing, nutritional composition and health benefits of yam (Dioscorea species): A review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, Volume (Issue), Page-Page. doi.org
Owusu Danquah, E., Danquah, F. O., Frimpong, F., Dankwa, K. O., Wabadde, C. K., Ennin, S. A., &Asante, M. O. O. (2022). Sustainable intensification and climate smart yamproduction for improved food security in West Africa: A review. Frontiers in Agronomy, 4, 858114. doi.org
Rajan, I., & Swanton, C. J. (2001). Understanding maize–weed competition: Resource competition,light quality and the whole plant.Field Crops Research, 71(2), 139– 150. 309 Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and Environment, 2026, 10 (1):296-310 A publication of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Calabar, Calabar ISSN: 2141-9965 Effects of crop spacing and weeding regimes on yam Bruno etal.
Reyes-Castro, G., Nyman, M., & Rönnberg- Ugwu, B. O. (1996). Yam and cassava Wästljung, A. C. (2005). Agronomic production as income generating performance of three cocoyam activities for households. African (Xanthosoma violaceum Schott) Journal of Root and Tuber Crops, (2), genotypes grown in Nicaragua. 43-48. Euphytica, 142(3), 265–272. doi.org
Uro-Chukwu, H. C. (2024). Food culture, Udosen, U. U., Udom, G. N., & Ekpo, T. U. lifestyle and traditional food festivals: (2016). Effects of spacing and A narrative on the public health weeding regimes on weed control and relevance of the traditional yam yield of cocoyam (Xanthosoma recipes in the Afikpo new yam sagittifolium (L.) Schott) in Uyo. festival. World Nutrition, 15(3), 66– Journal of Forestry, Environmental 79. and Sustainable Development, 2(2), Weed Science Society of America (2022). 12–137. Weeds and their impact on crop Udosen,
U. U., Udom, G. N., & Ekpo, T. U. production. U. (2017). Profitability of cocoyam World Bank. (2022). Transforming agrifood (Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) systems in Africa. World Bank. Schott) under integrated weed doi.org management options in Uyo. In N. U. World Health Organization (2021).
Ndaeyo, I. O. Udo, G. N. Udom, E. E. Traditional, complementary and assey, & L. I. Akpheokhai (Eds.), integrative medicine. Proceedings of the Crop Science https://www.who.int/health- Society of Nigeria (pp. 500–508). topics/traditional- complementary- Crop Science Society of Nigeria. and-integrative-medicine