Notes on the importance of proper husbandry in some tropical crops.

Abstract

Trials were carried out to determine the relative effects of weed competition and fertilizer application on plant growth and crop yield; the crop was weeded frequently, once only or not at all. Cocoa seedlings were grown in boxes and dry weights of seedlings and weeds determined 22 weeks after planting. Fertilizers increased the weight of cocoa plants by 20% and clean weeding increased it by 500%. Groundnuts, also grown in boxes, were harvested 17 weeks after sowing and dry weights of nuts and weeds determined. Fertilizers increased yield by 30 % and clean weeding by 65%. In two field trials with maize, fertilizers increased the yields of dry grain by 13 and 47% whereas clean weeding gave increases of 43 and 265%. In groundnuts, an outlay of 10/ha on weeding yielded a net increment of 70/ha compared with only l9/ha for an outlay on fertilizers of 34/ha. In the maize trials, the cost of fertilizers reduced the net income, whereas weeding proved a lucrative investment. In conclusion, weeding is recommended as an alternative to radical modernization for farmers on a low income.-P.K. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)