Fresh Leaf Yield Research Articles

Effect of INM Practices on the Leaves Parameters of Terminalia tomentosa Food Plant of Antheraea mylitta Drury

Background: Terminalia tomentosa is a primary food plant of Antheraea mylitta Drury a polyphagous insect of Saturniidae family which is exploited commercially for the production of silk. Good quality of silk production depend on the nutrient of leaf. So, to optimize the nutrient of leaf integrated nutrient management practices has been used to increase soil fertility and to supply plant nutrient at an optimum. Methods: In order to evaluate the effect of INM practices on the leaves parameters of Terminalia tomentosa food plant of Antheraea mylitta Drury. An experiment based on randomised complete block design with 21 treatments and three replication was conducted at Central Tasar Research and Training Institute, Nagri, Ranchi in the year 2019-20. Result: Results revealed that the application of INM treatments are significant on various leaf parameters. Highest single leaf length and breadth mean was observed in T19 (23.29 cm; 11.96 cm) was applied with 75% RDF through fertilizer+25% through vermicompost+ Azotobacter + PSB, weight of single leaf was found to be highest in T13 (5.19 g). The number of leaf was recorded highest in T19 (1892). The fresh leave yield ranged from 1617.317-5208.224 g with average mean of 4085.72 g, T19 (5032.1 g) recorded the highest fresh leaf yield. The dry matter content was found highest in T19 (340.56 g). The moisture content was recorded higher in T4 (71%) followed by T15 (69%).

The Effect of Different Planting Times on Yield and Quality Features in Some Mint Species (Mentha longifolia, Mentha x piperita, Mentha spicata)

This study, which was carried out to determine the effect of planting times (April 15th, May 1st, May 15th) on agricultural properties in the species of Mentha longifolia, Mentha x piperita and Mentha spicata, was conducted in the trial field of Faculty of Agriculture in Ordu University in 2018-2019. In the study, plant height, fresh herb yield, drug herba yield, fresh leaf yield and drug leaf yield, essential oil rate and essential oil yield were investigated. In both trial years, the plantings of April 15 and May 1 generally came to the forefront in terms of the characters examined in all species. Looking at the species, Mentha longifolia took first place in essential oil ratio in both years, Mentha x piperita in all the features examined except for plant height, in the first year, and Mentha spicata in all characters, in the second year.

Effects of harvest stage and diurnal variability on yield and essential oil content in Mentha × piperita L.

This study aimed at investigating the effect of ontogenetic and diurnal variability on yield and quality criteria of Mentha piperita. The research was conducted in the Ordu province of Turkey for two years. The trial was established in a randomised complete block design with 3 replications according to factorial regulations. Four different harvesting periods (budding, first flowering, 50% flowering, 100% flowering) and three harvesting hours (9:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m.) were evaluated. A significant difference was determined between the trial years in all characters examined: plant height 55.9–69.0 cm, fresh herb yield 3 236–16 438 kg/ha, drug-herb yield 1 748–2 862 kg/ha, fresh leaf yield 3 477–4 506 kg/ha, drug leaf yield 968–1 253 kg/ha, essential oil ratio 2.0–2.5% and essential oil yield that varied between 19–28 L/ha. The highest yields were obtained at the beginning of flowering in drug leaf yield and 100% flowering period for all other characteristics. Diurnal variability was statistically significant only in the rate of essential oil, and the highest rate occurred in the 9:00 a.m. harvest.

Responses of Leaf Celery to Floating Culture System with Different Depths of Water-substrate Interface and NPK-fertilizer Application

Wetland areas in Indonesia cover more than 33,3 million hectares, and slightly less than 40 % is inland swamp. During the rainy season, for up to 9 months annually, the wetlands are flooded, and no conventional agricultural activities can be done by local farmers. However, this condition can be seen as an opportunity to employ floating culture system. The objective of this research was to evaluate responses of leaf celery to floating culture system with different depths of water-substrate interface and NPK-fertilizer application. The results of this study indicated that the depth of water-substrate interface (WSI) should be maintained between 1 to 3 cm. At less than 1 cm, continuous contact between the water surface and the bottom part of the substrate cannot be ensured; meanwhile, aerobic substrate volume was reduced and caused significant effects on growth and yield in celery plants if WSI was deeper than 3 cm. Moreover, the effectiveness of NPK-fertilizer application was weakened if the depth of WSI was at 6 cm. Fresh leaf yield in celery plants harvested at 45 days after transplanting (DAT) can be predicted as early as 3 weeks earlier using the midrib length of the largest leaf or plant height as a predictor measured at 26 DAT.
 HIGHLIGHTS
 
 Depth of water-substrate interface (WSI) should be maintained between 1 to 3 cm for better growth and higher yield in floating culture system
 Effects of NPK fertilizer application diminished if WSI deeper than 3 cm
 Yield of celery harvested at 45 days after transplanting can be predicted as earlier as 3 weeks using midrib length of the largest leaf or plant height as predictor
 
 GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

English

Use of optimum plant spacing (planting density) is one of the important agronomic practices to maximize the productivity of lettuce. A field experiment was conducted to assess the responses of two lettuce varieties to different plant spacing at Debrezeit and Holeta Agricultural Research Centers representing two different agro-ecologies in Ethiopia. Nine treatment combinations of three levels of inter-row and three levels of intra-row spacing were studied on two types of lettuce varieties. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in a factorial experiment. The results revealed that marketable and total fresh leaf yield, and fresh leaf weight per plant were significantly affected by the main effect of plant spacing and variety as well as its interaction (p<0.05). Increasing planting density increased the total fresh leaf yield per unit area in both varieties, however reduced the fresh leaf weight per plant. The highest fresh leaf yield was obtained using 40 cm x 20 cm (125000 plants ha-1) planting density from variety Great Lakes, while variety Rsk-3 recorded its highest fresh leaf yield at the highest planting density of 30 cm x 20 cm (166667 plants ha-1). Great Lakes was superior over Rsk-3 in most yield parameters studied though Rsk-3 was better in leaf dry weight percent. Besides, both varieties responded differently in both sites while Great Lakes performed better at Debrezeit than at Holeta and Rsk-3 did well at Holeta than at Debrezeit. Hence, 40 cm x 20 cm and 30 cm x 20 cm could be used as the optimum plant spacing to grow Great Lakes and Rsk-3 respectively in the respective agro-ecologies. Key words: Agronomic practices, planting density, inter-and intra-row spacing, competition.

Plant Spacing and Variety of Field Corn (Zea mays L.) Affecting Yield, Yield Components and Silage Quality

The recent increase in dairy and cattle production in Thailand has increased demand for high-quality roughage, particularly corn silage. Although there has been a great deal of research on field corn, far fewer studies have focused on corn intended as silage. This study involved a field experiment that analyzed crop management methods, focusing on plant spacing and 8 of the field corn varieties most commonly used in Thailand. The objectives were to determine which plant spacing and variety produced the best forage yield and silage qualities of corn silage. The plantings were arranged in a split-plot Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. The main plot contained two spacing (75×20 and 75×25 cm2), each with subplots of 8 field corn varieties (SW5, NS2, NS3, NSX982013, TE1719, WS6437, WS6440, WS6442). All plants received the same crop management care regarding soil conditions, water, fertilization, and weeding. The results showed plant spacing did not significantly affect plant height (cm) and ears per plant, but the narrower 75×20 cm2 spacing produced the highest fresh leaf yield (13 t ha-1) and dry stalk yield (4.5 t ha-1) (p < 0.05). At 75×20 cm2 spacing, the TE1719 varietal had more ears per plant than SW5 (the check variety). TE1719 had the best fresh ear, stalk, and total biomass yield at both spacing of all the varieties. With regard to silage quality, the plant spacing did not significantly affect the CP, ADF, ADL, ash, and pH of the corn silage. The study revealed planting TE1719 varieties at 75×20 cm2 spacing is more economical for farmers because it increases forage yields without negatively affecting the nutritional value of corn silage.

First Report of Black Spot Caused by Neoscytalidium dimidiatum on Sisal in Guangxi, China.

Sisal (Agave sisalana Perrine) is an important hard fiber crop that is widely planted in Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan, and Fujian provinces, China. In July 2019, a new leaf disease of sisal with a disease incident of about 36% was found in Guangxi (Fig.1a~d). The oval or circular black lesions were 2.3 cm to 15.9 cm in length and 1.6 cm to 5.5 cm in width on both sides of the diseased leaves. The central part of the lesions was slightly hollow. The lesions continuously enlarged and ultimately penetrated the leaves. Reddish brown and dark mucus was secreted from the lesions. The junction of lesions and healthy parts was reddish brown to yellow. The diseased leaf fiber and mesophyll tissues were reddish brown and necrotic. Fresh leaf yield was reduced about 30% by the disease, and fiber quality was significantly compromised every year in Guangxi. Six kinds of fungi distinguished by their morphology, size and color of the colonies were isolated from diseased leaf tissues of 60 sisal plants sampled from five different farms in Guangxi. Isolate JMHB1 was isolated at a rate of 95.67%. The isolate JMHB1 was initially white with dense and hairy aerial mycelium, gradually turning dark grey to olive green on PDA (Fig. 2). Conidia, arthrospores, and chlamydospores were observed on PDA in culture (Fig. 3). The conidia formed arthric chains, disarticulating, cylindrical-truncate, oblong-obtuse to doliiform, colorless and transparent, zero- to one-septate, and averaging 4.4 to 13.8 µm × 2.2 to 5.6 µm (n=100). Arthrospores were short columnar, pigmented and transparent, single or formed arthric chains, averaging 5.5 to 17.9 µm × 2.1 to 3.5 µm (n=100). Chlamydospores were dark brown, round or oval, averaging 4.5 to 9.6 µm × 4.5 to 8.6 µm (n=100). Pathogenicity testing was conducted by inoculating 3-year-old healthy sisal plants with PDA plugs (5 × 5 mm) on which the fungus had grown for 5 days. Nine healthy plants were wounded on the leaves with a sterile needle, and mycelial plugs were placed on the wounds, covered with sterile moist cotton, and wrapped with parafilm. Nine control plants were wounded and treated with PDA plugs as the negative control. The test was repeated three times. All treated plants were kept in a greenhouse at ~28 ℃ and 40% RH. After 5 days, only leaves inoculated with isolate JMHB1 showed lesions similar to symptoms observed in the field (Fig.1e~f). The fungus was re-isolated from all nine diseased plants, and no symptoms were observed on the leaves of control plants. Molecular identification of the fungus was made by PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA, EF1-α gene and β-tubulin gene using primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), EFl-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn 1999), TUB2Fd/TUB4Rd (Aveskamp et al. 2009) respectively. The ITS (MT705646), EF1-α (MT733516) and β-tubulin (MT773603) sequences of JMHB1 were similar to the ITS (AY819727), EF1-α (EU144063) and β-tubulin (KF531800) sequences of the epitype of Neoscytalidium dimidiatum (CBS 499.66) with 100%, 99.65% and 99.02% identity, respectively. Based on pathogenicity testing, morphological characteristics, and molecular identification, the pathogen of sisal causing black spot was identified as N. dimidiatum (Penz.) Crous & Slippers (Crous et al. 2006). To our knowledge, this is the first report of black spot caused by N. dimidiatum on sisal in China. Sisal is the main economic crop in arid and semi-arid areas that is widely planted in several provinces of southern China. The serious occurrence of the disease caused by N. dimidiatum has greatly affected the development of sisal industry and local economic income in China. Identification of the pathogen of the disease is of great significance to guide disease control, increase farmers' income and promote the development of sisal industry.

Identification of ontogenetic and diurnal variability in oregano (Origanum onites L.)

Ontogenetic and diurnal variabilities in İzmir thyme (Origanum onites L.), an important essential oil and spice plant of Lamiaceae (Labiatae) family, were determined in this study. Experiments were conducted in randomized blocks - factorial experimental design with 3 replications. Two harvests were performed. Plants were harvested at different hours of a day (09:00, 13:00, 17:00) and in different growth periods (beginning of budding, beginning of flowering, 50% flowering and 100% flowering). Plant height, fresh herbage yield, drug herbage yield, fresh leaf yield, drug leaf yield, essential oil ratio and essential oil yield parameters were investigated. High essential oil ratios were obtained from the plants harvested at morning hours. Essential oil ratios varied between 2.11 - 4.41%. The greatest essential oil ratio was obtained from the plants harvested in morning hours of the beginning of budding period of the second harvests. Fresh herbage yields varied between 222.45 - 714.63 kg/da with the greatest value from the plants harvested in the beginning of flowering period of the second harvests. Drug herbage yields varied between 64.30 - 256.74 kg/da with the greatest value from the plants harvested in the beginning of flowering period of the second harvests.

Impact of organic based nutrient management on growth and yield parameters of mulberry (Morus sp.)

The experiment was conducted to know the effect of different organic manures alone and in combination with biofertilizer (Azospirillum) on growth and yield parameters of mulberry (Var. China white). The experiment revealed significant differences with respect to treatments. Among these, application of Vermicompost @ 4kg/plant + Azospirillum (4.0g/plant) was recorded significantly higher growth parameters (plant girth, plant height, number of shoots per plant, shoot height, longest shoot, internodal length) and yield parameters (number of leaves per plant, fresh leaf yield, leaf area index, moisture content (%), moisture retention per cent after 6 hours). Further FYM@ 4kg/plant + Azospirillum (4.0g/plant) found next best with respect to economic traits of mulberry. The results of the present study showed superiority of application of Vermicompost @ 4kg/plant + Azospirillum (4.0g/plant) after pruning so as to produce good quality mulberry leaves which in turn may improve soil health.

Genetic variability and character association studies in curry leaf ( Murraya koenigii)

Studies on variability and association of characters in curry leaf genotypes were carried out with eight genotypes collected around Coimbatore district at HC&RI, Coimbatore during 2017-2019. Significant variability was observed for all the characters recorded in the curry leaf genotypes. Among the characters studied length of the matured shoot (118.90 and 114.95), plant height (66.27 and 51.41) and the number of compound leaf per matured shoot (18.97 and 17.24) recorded the highest phenotypic and genotypic variances respectively. Highest Phenotypic coefficient of variation and genotypic coefficient of variation was recorded for weight of the matured shoot (18.80 and 18.74), the number of matured shoot (15.13 and 14.98), the number of compound leaf per matured shoot (10.74 and 10.49)and fresh leaf yield /plant (10.63 and 10.40) Less variation was noticed between Phenotypic co-efficient of variation and Genotypic co-efficient of variation, which indicates environmental influence was low for all the characters. Number of matured shoots (98.09 and 30.57), Length of matured shoots (96.68 and 19.61), weight of matured shoots (99.27 and 38.46), the number of compound leaves per matured shoot (95.32 and 21.10) and fresh leaf yield per plant (95.86 and 21.01) showed high heritability with high genetic advance. High heritability with high genetic advance as per cent of mean for the character represents selection is effective and this is due to additive gene action. The magnitude of genotypic correlation was higher than the phenotypic correlation for all the traits that indicated inherent association between various characters.

Evaluation of Biorational Insecticides as Stand-alone Treatments for the Management of the Pigweed Flea Beetle, Disonycha glabrata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), in Organic Production of Amaranthus spp.

The pigweed flea beetle, Disonycha glabrata, is the most damaging insect pest on Amaranthus spp. in the Piedmont zone of North Carolina (NC), United States. It is capable of causing severe yield loss on amaranth greens if uncontrolled. Field experiments were conducted over two growing seasons (Summer 2017 and 2018) in Greensboro, NC, to evaluate OMRI-approved biorational insecticides against D. glabrata in organic amaranth production. Insecticides evaluated included Azatin® O (azadiractin), Ecotec® (oils: rosemary, peppermint and geraniol), Entrust® (spinosad) and PyGanic® (pyrethrins) as stand-alone threshold-driven treatments applied at recommended label rates. Insecticide treatment action threshold (AT) was 2 (on a scale of 5) representing 20-40% leaf damage. The efficacy of the insecticides against D. glabrata population differed significantly within the amaranth varieties in comparison to their respective controls: treatments with Entrust® and PyGanic® on Green Callaloo and Red Leaf recorded 80% reduction in beetle population while Ecotec® gave only a 15% beetle reduction. The Azatin® O treatments recorded the highest D. glabrata population, sometimes greater than the control. Marketable fresh leaf yield from both Green Callaloo and Red Leaf amaranth was highest in the Entrust® and PyGanic® treatments. Hopi Red-Dye and Molten Fire amaranths showed some resistance to beetle damage; they are also intrinsically low yielding. These findings provide information that would make organic amaranth production possible with only limited and safe insecticide input using OMRI-approved insecticides in a threshold-driven manner, an important step towards the sustainable management of D. glabrata and amaranth production.

The Effects of Three Fertilization Treatments on Soil Fertility and Yield and Quality of Fresh Leaves in Tea Gardens

To explore the soil fertility and tea quality and yield during the process of replacing chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer, we established three experiment groups: experimental group I (formulated fertilization and biogas slurry), experimental group II (habitual fertilization) and experimental group III (formulated fertilization). Comparing with soil fertility, quality and heavy metal contents in fresh leaves among three groups in five tea gardens of Mingshan District, explores the effects of three different fertilization treatments on. The results showed that the experimental group I and experimental group III could improve soil fertility (including increasing the organic matter, total nitrogen and alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen content) compared with the experimental group II. On the Fresh leaf yield, experimental group I> experimental group III > experimental group II(P<0.05), in which experimental group I was 27.26% higher than experimental group III. On yield, different treatments had less effect on the main quality components of fresh leaves (P>0.05).Compared with the experimental group II and the experimental group III, the heavy metal content of the experimental group I was higher, but no more than the food safety standard limit. In summary, experimental group I and experimental group III can effectively improve soil fertility and fresh leaf yield compared with conventional fertilization, particular experimental group I.

Resistance of Amaranthus Spp. to the Green Peach Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae).

The green peach aphid [Myzus persicae (Sulzer)] is an important pest of amaranth grown for leaf consumption (i.e., leafy amaranth) in the tropics. Aphids reduce the amount of fresh leaf yield of amaranth and the value of leafy amaranth as aphid-infested leaves are not marketable. Our objective was to evaluate Amaranthus species selected by a breeding program in East Africa to develop cultivars for leaf consumption with resistance to M. persicae. We focused on antibiosis to determine whether varieties of Amaranthus spp. could be grown without producing an aphid population. Artificial infestations of aphids were placed on multiple selections of three species of Amaranthus: two selections of A. blitum, four selections of A. hybridus and one selection of A. hypochondriacus. Aphid populations were assessed over a 5-wk period. Evaluations of vegetative yield, leaf damage symptoms, and specific leaf area (SLA) were made of the seven selections at the end of this experiment. Aphid populations assessed 49 d after planting differed significantly (P ≤ 0.001) among the amaranth species and within selections of the same species. The selections of A. blitum had the lowest aphid populations, and A. hybridus had the highest populations. Selections of A. hybridus produced the most marketable leaves (i.e., aphid free). The fresh weight of A. blitum were the lowest of the seven selections, whereas A. hybridus had the greatest fresh leaf weight. Implications of these finding for further promotion of amaranth breeding are discussed related to pest management for leaf production.

Perspective mutant forms of tea plants (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) in the collection of Russian Research Institute of Floriculture and Subtropical Crops

The article presents long-term data on the study of yield, biochemical parameters (tannin and extractive substances) and quality of tea raw materials (by the average mass of three-leaf fl ushes) of perspective mutant induced forms of tea breeding by Georgian scientists: 582 (radio mutant – aneuploid 2n = 36); 2264 (сolchicine mutant – mixoploid 2n = 38); 3823 (radio mutant – myxoploid 2n = 42). Standard Kolkhida variety was chosen as a control. The collection was planted in 1986 in CJSC «Dagomyschay» and is administered by the Russian Research Institute of Floriculture and Subtropical Crops. Vegetation of radio-mutant forms proceeded more actively, adaptability to summer drought was quite pronounced. By productivity, the following radiomutant forms can be distinguished: 582 (49.8 kg / ha) and 3823 (55.2 center/ha), with an excess over the control variety Kolkhida on 13.4-25.7 %. To a greater extent, the colchimutant form 2264 (30.2 C/ha) was inferior to the control, the credible diff erence was 31.2 %. In terms of the average weight of three-leaf fl ushes, the advantage was also in the mutant forms, it is 1.0 g and 0.96 g for the forms 3823 and 582, respectively, in the control variety the average weight was 0.89 g. It should be noting that the average mass of 3-leaf fl ushes was 0.4 g on the commercial plantations fi lled with local tea population. The biochemical parameters on tannin and extractive substances showed highest quality of fresh leaf yield of all mutant forms. At the same time, on this position, the mutant form 582 dominated, the tannin parameters exceeded the control variety Kolkhida by 2.6 %, the presence of extractive substances by 0.9 % (the infusion was moreintense). All the studying induced mutant tea forms represent practical interest for gene pool replenishment, breeding and implementation in commercial tea growing.

Cultivation of dandelion (Taraxacum erythropodium) on coastal saline land based on the control of salinity and fertilizer

Abstract Dandelion (Taraxacum spp.) is a widely distributed weed; in China, however, dandelion has been considered to be a kind of medicinal and edible vegetable in recent years. This transition from weed to vegetable requires corresponding cultivation and management. Thus, the production of dandelion on saline land was conducted based on the evaluation of dandelion salt tolerance. Low soil salt content (< 0.3%) did not significantly affect dandelion growth, and the salt tolerance threshold of dandelion ranged from 0.4% to 0.43% according to the correlation between salt content and morphological and physiological parameters, which was for guiding the preparation of saline land for dandelion field cultivation. Different fertilizer treatments significantly affected the leaf yield of dandelion, and the maximum fresh leaf yield of ~10.5 t ha−1 was obtained when urea was applied in batches at a ratio of 2:2:1 in the sowing, seedling and flowering stages, respectively. This research provided the theoretical and technical support for the cultivation on saline land, laying the foundation for further study of quality control for the cultivation of dandelion on saline land.

English

A field experiment was conducted at Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Center in the production season of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 with the objective of identifying the best combination of intra and inter-row spacing for optimum plant population density of rosemary. The treatments consisted of five intra-row spacing (50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 cm) and three inter-row spacing (60, 80 and 100 cm) with a total treatment combination of fifteen that were laid out in factorial randomized completely block design with three replications. Data on plant height, fresh leaf weight per plant, fresh aboveground biomass and dry leaf weight were collected and analyzed. The main effect of intra-row and inter-row spacing had a significant influence on the number of branch per plant, fresh leaf weight per plant, dry leaf weight per hectare and oil yield per hectare in each year and pooled mean. The interaction effect of intra-row and inter-row spacing caused significant variations in the number of branch per plant, fresh leaf weight per hectare and aboveground biomass per hectare in the pooled mean analysis. Plant height and oil content were not influenced by the main effect of intra-row and inter-row spacing and their interaction in each year and pooled mean. Significantly maximum fresh leaf yield (23777 kg ha-1) and fresh aboveground biomass (33746 kg ha-1) were obtained from the combined of 50 cm intra-row and 60 cm inter-row spacing. Significantly higher dry leaf yield (7081.1 kg ha-1) and (6333.4 mkg ha-1) and oil yield (174.6 kg ha-1) and (154.7 kg ha-1) were obtained from the main effect of 50 cm intra-row and 60 cm inter-row spacing respectively. It may, therefore, be concluded that spacing combination of 50 cm intra-row x 60 cm inter-row responded favorably in attaining higher leaf yield and oil yield of Rosemary in the area. Key words: Rosemary inter-row, intra- row, spacing, plant population.  

Growth and Yield Responses of Curry Plant (Murraya koenigii) to Plant Row Spacing in an Utisol

Curry plant (Murraya koenigii) is one of the most important vegetable spices crops use for food, spice, medicinal and industrial purposes in Nigeria. However, curry plant production in commercial scale in Nigeria is highly constrained by several factors: it is not cultivated in regular farming system mainly due to lack of planting materials and improper plant spacing of this crop among others.
 Therefore, field experiments were conducted to determine the effect of different levels of plant row spacing on growth and yield of Curry plant (Murraya koenigii) in Cross River University of Technology, Teaching and Research farm, Department of Agronomy, Obubra, Cross River state, Nigeria in 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design. Treatments were nine plant row spacing (70 x 50 cm, 70 x 70 cm, 80 x 40 cm, 80x60 cm, 90 x 30 cm, 100 x 50 cm, 100 x 70 cm, 100 x100 cm and 100 x130 cm) inter and intra row respectively with four replications. Results showed that plant row spacing have significantly affect the growth and yield of Curry plant. Closer plant row spacing of 70 x 50 cm significantly promoted the tallest plant height and highest leaf area inde x values of curry plant. Fresh and dry leaf yield on per hectare basis were significantly higher in closer plant row spacing than wider row spacing. The highest fresh and dry leaves yield per hectare at 20 weeks after planting (WAP) of 0.9742t/ha and 0.9871t/ha were obtained in closer row spacing of 70 x 50 cm in 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons respectively .
 The number of leaves and branches per plant and their fresh leaf yield and dry matter of plant fractions were higher in wider plant row spacing plots. The wide plant row spacing of 100 x 130 cm produced the highest fresh leaf yield per plant of 88.54 g in 2017 and 83.46 g in 2018 cropping seasons. Based on this result farmers are advised to cultivate Curry plant (Murraya koenigii) using the plant row spacing of 70 x 50 or 80 x 60 cm for optimum growth and yield per hectare of the crop under the utisoil condition.

Effect of biostimulants on leaf yield and quality of annual moringa (Moringa oleifera. Lam) Var. PKM - 1

Research study on effect of foliar application of biostimulants on yield and quality of annual moringa for leaf production was conducted at Horticultural College and Research Institute, Periyakulam between October 2014 to September 2016. Annual moringa Var PKM -1 seeds were sown @ 40 cm x 20 cm spacing. Foliar application of different concentrations of humic acid, Vermiwash and sea weed extract were given as per the treatment schedule. Harvesting of moringa leaves was done starting from 60 days after sowing leaving 45 cm stem from the ground level at every 45 days interval. Fresh and dry leaf yield per plot was recorded in each harvest and the data were analyzed statistically. Cost benefit ratio for each treatment was calculated. Among the different treatment combinations, application of humic acid 0.2% + vermiwash 4% + sea weed extract 4% @ 10 days after each harvest recorded the highest dry leaf yield of 18.24 t/ha followed by the application of humic acid 2 ml/lit + vermiwash 4% + sea weed extract 4% @ 10 and 25 days after each harvest along with recommended dose of fertilizer. The highest benefit cost ratio of 1:2.45 was observed in the treatment of foliar application of humic acid 2 ml/lit + vermiwash 4% + sea weed extract 4% @ 10 days after each harvest along with recommended dose of fertilizers.

Improving traditional leafy vegetables production through water use efficiency and fertilizer microdosing technology in Benin Republic

In most developing countries, water and fertilizer management pose serious problems to vegetables production. This study aimed at determining the fresh leaf yields and Water Use Efficiency (WUE) under microdosed fertilizer technology of two main traditional leafy vegetables (TLVs) (Amaranthus cruentus L. and Solanum macrocarpon L.) that are consumed in Benin. A field experiment was carried out at Centre de Recherche Agricole d'INA, Northern Benin, under sprinkler irrigation at maximum evapotranspiration (MET) calculated from Cropwat 8.0. The study was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications and two factors: 1) urea (46% N) applied at D0, D20, D40, D60, D80 (kg ha-1) and 2) urea application timing at d1: early application (10 days after transplanting, DAT) and d2: later application (15 DAT). Following the MET (6.6 mm day-1), plants were irrigated twice a day (morning and evening) at 3.3 mm per watering. This irrigation rate was applied by operating the sprinklers with 0.078 mm min-1 of water flow for 44 min. Soil moisture and drainage were measured every week using TDR (time domain reflectometry) probe and micro-lysimeters respectively. The water balance was calculated using the trapezoidal method. WUE was determined using the ratio of dry biomass yields and real crop evapotranspiration (RET). Data were analyzed with R software following analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pairewise t test at 0.05 level of probability. Quadratic regression was used to model TLVs response to fertilizer rates. At D60d1 and D40d2 we recorded the highest RET (35-42.45 mm week(-1)), highest fresh biomass yields (4.5-4.7 t ha(-1) for eggplant and 9.9-10.5 t ha(-1) for amaranth) and highest WUE (2.5-4 kg ha(-1) mm(-1)), respectively. Microdosed fertilizer technology may be therefore used to improve TLVs production and WUE because it may contribute to reduce fertilizer use by 2.5-10 times for urea and to 50% irrigation water while increase fresh leaf yield by 30-64%.

Genetic Variation of Some Tobacco (Nicotiana Tabacum L.) Genotypes by Morphological Traits

Abstract Simple lattice design with two replicates was used to evaluate 25 tobacco genotypes. The following eight traits were measured and evaluated: plant height (PH), leaf length (LL), leaf width (LW), leaf number per plant (LN), stem girth (SG), leaf area (LA), dry leaf yield (DLW), and fresh leaf yield (FLW). The genotype by trait biplot for tobacco dataset explained 73% of the total variation of the standardized data. The polygon view of genotype by trait presented for the eight different traits of tobacco genotypes showed six vertex cultivars (G4, G5, G11, G12, G18, and G21). Genotype G21 had the highest values for most of the measured traits. Based on a vector view biplot, strong positive associations among LL, DLW, FLW, and LA were detected while near zero correlations between LL and SG, as well as between LL and PH were observed. Generally, based on ideal genotype and ideal tester biplots, it was demonstrated that the selection for high leaf yield should be performed via leaf length, leaf width, and leaf area traits identified as effective selection criteria for high yielding cultivars.