ISHS Acta Horticulturae 123: VI African Symposium on Horticultural Crops
PROVIDING STAKES FOR SUPPORTING CLIMBING VEGETABLES |
| Authors: | G.F. Wilson, A.N. Atta-Krah |
| Abstract:
Stem support for vines or weak stemmed plants is an essential practice for many horticultural crops. Methods of supporting weak stems include using the live or killed in-situ stem of an erect plant, wooden pole or stake, trellis made of wood, wood and strings, wood and wire or metal, strings attached to wire or plastic mesh, and metal cages. Of these practices the single stake and wood frame trellis have been the most popular in the tropics (Coursey, 1967) where the materials were obtained from nearby forests or bush. In the face of stake shortage many farmers have given up staking certain crops for which stem support is beneficial but not essential. For example, many farmers in the derived savannah region of Nigeria now grow yam without providing stem support. In parts of this same region, a system has been developed where in-situ sorghum stem is bent over at about 1.0m above ground to form a low trellis for yam vine support. Brown (1931) looked at the possibility of using in-situ stem residue of erect crops such as cotton and castor bean, for yam stem support and concluded that these supports were not effective. However in-situ okra stalk provided excellent support for cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) (Wilson and Mehta, 1975) and gave 30-50% increase in yield over cowpea grown without support. This same technique has been used successfully with French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (unpublished). The in-situ stem support system using sorghum, leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala Lam. de Witt.) or gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium Jacq. Steud.) may work under field conditions, but may not be compatible with small vegetable gardens, especially the intensive market gardens located in or near urban centres where land is scarce and expensive. In parts of the United States, vegetable growers faced with stake shortage have resorted to using stems of quick-growing kenaf (Hibiscus canabinus) for supporting beans. This paper reports on the potential of using quick-growing tropical shrubs for providing staking material for vegetables. | |
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