­­­­­­­Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Anchote (Coccinia Abyssinica L.) in Response to Farmyard Manure and Phosphorus Fertilizer Rates at Masha, South Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Anchote (Coccinia abyssinica L.) is an important household food security crop especially in the western and southwestern parts of Ethiopia. Despite its nutritional, socio-cultural and socio-economic importance, is constrained by different factors, among which low and imbalanced nutrient supply in the soil, therefore, the yielding ability and performance of this under-utilized crop has not been studied under various phosphorus (P) and farm yard manure (FYM) levels. Thus, a field experiment was conducted to determine the effect of P and FYM on the growth, yield and yield components of anchote at Masha, Southwest Ethiopia in 2019. The treatments consisted of four levels of FYM (0, 5, 10, and 15 t FYM ha-1) and five levels of P (0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 kg P2O5 ha-1). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design in 4×5 factorial arrangements and replicated three times. Different growth, yield and yield related traits were collected and statistically analyzed using SAS version 9.3 software. The result detected that the traits were affected by the combine application of phosphorus and FYM except day of 50% emergency, harvesting index, and unmarketable storage root yield. Highest average vine length (3.89 cm) and vine internode length (12.45cm) was recorded with 0 kg P2O5 + 15 t FYM ha-1 whereas, highest vine branch numbers (4.0), vine internodes number ( 43.87) , average total storage root yield (63.60 t ha-1), average storage root diameter (8.53cm), average storage root length (10.24 cm), average marketable storage root yield (63.3tha -1) and average total dry biomass yield (1.65kg plant-1) were recorded in response of 96 kg P2O5 ha-1 with 15t FYM ha-1. In general, results of this study indicated that combined application of the P and FYM fertilizer has a promising positive effect on yield and yield components of anchote. Hence, application of 96 P2O5 kg ha-1 and 15 tha-1 FYM considered as better for anchote production at Masha, Southwestern Ethiopia. However, since the data is obtained from only one season, it will be worth repeating the experiment under field condition, across different seasons and locations to draw sound conclusions and recommendations.