Abstract
Nitrogen and potassium are key nutrients for optimum productivity in Musa species. In this study, optimum doses of N and K were determined for two plantain genotypes. The growth and dry matter yield (DMY) of ‘PITA 24’ (a hybrid plantain of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture) and a landrace, ‘Agbagba’ were evaluated on factorial doses of N (0, 200, 400 and 600 kg.ha-1) and K2O (0, 300, 600 and 900 kg.ha-1). The nutrient use efficiencies of the applied nutrients were also studied. Analysis of variance showed that fertilizer combination significantly (p<0.05) influenced the genotype performance and genotype-by-fertilizer interaction effects. Growth and DMY in both genotypes were superior where both nutrients were applied together. ‘PITA 24’ maintained a better growth, higher DMY, and greater efficiency of nutrient use than ‘Agbagba’. Both genotypes had the best growth where N was applied at 200 or 400 kg.ha-1 in combination with 300, 600 or 900 kg.ha-1 of K2O. The control plants were the poorest. Agronomic efficiency (AE) of applied K+ was high at N200K300, N400K300, and N600K300; similarly, AE of applied N was superior at N200K600, N200K300, and N200K900. The partial factor productivity from the applied nutrients was highest at N200K300, suggesting that it was most economical to grow plantain with 200 kg N and 300 kg K2O ha-1. For optimum performance of plantains in the humid tropics of southeastern Nigeria, results from the study suggest the combined application of 200 to 400 kg N and 300 to 600 kg K2O per hectare, per annum. Key words: Plantains, dry matter yield, nutrient use efficiency.
Highlights
The edible bananas (Musa AAA) and plantains
The significant variability observed in the growth indices and plant stature, dry matter yield, and the efficiency of nutrient use in this study corroborates the assertion that plant nutrition is the most singular factor controlling growth behavior and crop yields (Akinrinde, 2006)
Plants that received ample doses of nitrogen and potassium maintained superior growth and higher dry matter yield than those grown with single doses of the either nutrients (N or K), and the non-fertilized control plants
Summary
The edible bananas (Musa AAA) and plantains (Musa spp. AAB) belong to the genus Musa and familyMusaceae (Stover and Simmonds, 1987). The edible bananas (Musa AAA) and plantains As principal staple food with rice, cassava and yam, plantains are rich sources of dietary energy, vitamins (A, B6 and C) and minerals such as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and zinc (Tenkouano et al, 2002). Plantain and banana crops are traditionally grown in heavily manured compound farms where the productivity could be sustained for many years. Aba and Baiyeri cultivated on large-scale commercial farms under sole cropping where yield decline sets-in after few production cycles (Wilson et al, 1987). The rapid yield decline observed in most plantations has been a major limitation to large scale cultivation of plantain and banana crops in
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