Abstract
Amaranthus cruentus L. is a leafy vegetable that is cultivated mainly for its leaves and grains. Due to high demand for this crop in Nigeria, the need to boost its productivity becomes necessary. Field and laboratory studies were conducted during in two successive cropping seasons at the experimental farm and laboratory unit of the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin City. Three cutting heights C1: (10 cm), C2: (15 cm), C3: (20 cm) and a control C0: (no cutting) and four rates of fertilizer application F0: (Control), F1: (10 t ha-1 poultry manure), F2: (150 kg ha-1 NPK15:15:15) and F3 (75 t ha-1 NPK 15:15:15 + 5 t ha-1 poultry manure) constituted the treatments. The treatments were in three replicate laid out in a (4 × 4) factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design. Data collected were plant height (cm), leaf area (cm2), stem diameter (cm) and number of branches. Fresh and dry herbage yield were taken at harvest. Growth, yield, and quality of Amarathus cruentus were significantly influenced by cutting heights and fertilizer application. In both years, number of branches (3.50 and 6.01) were lowest at C0 compared with other treatments. Herbage fresh and dry yield (49.10 t ha-1 and 18.20 t ha-1) were highest at C3 and was consistent in both years. Similarly, the concentration of K, Ca, and Mg in plant tissue and the uptake of nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Na) increase at C3 compared with other treatments. F3 significantly (p<0.05) produced highest dry herbage yield (13.08 t ha-1and 25.15 t ha-1) in both years. Crude protein, fibre and fat content of the shoots were highest at cutting height of C3 and at F3 fertilizer rate. Therefore, for good yield and better quality of Amaranthus cruentus L, a combination of (75 t ha-1 NPK 15:15:15 + 5 t ha-1 poultry manure) at cutting height of C3: (20 cm above soil level) is recommended for Amaranthus cruentus L production in the study area.
Highlights
Amaranthus cruentus L. commonly known as Amaranth belongs to the family Amaranthaceae
Plants cut at 20 cm above soil level (C3), consistently produced the highest fresh and dry herbage yield in both years
The increase in fresh and dry herbage yield observed with F2, (150 kg ha-1 NPK15:15:15) and F3, (75 kg ha -1 NPK 15:15:15 + 5 t ha -1 poultry manure) could be attributed to its higher nutrient concentrations (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Na), which increased the availability of nutrients in the soil, leading to increased uptake by A. cruentus plants
Summary
Amaranthus cruentus L. commonly known as Amaranth belongs to the family Amaranthaceae. It is a dual-purpose crop, grown both for its leaves and grains. A. cruentus is a vegetable of high dietary value produced and consumed in most parts of Nigeria. The leaves are rich in protein, vitamin A and potassium (Tindall, 1986; Akanbi and Togun, 2002). The leaves are being processed into many food items, supplements, Received: 13 Jun 2020. Received in revised form: 13 Aug 2020.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
