ISHS Acta Horticulturae 158: X African Symposium on Horticultural Crops
INFLUENCE OF PLANT DENSITY ON EDIBLE LEAF AND SEED YIELDS OF VEGETABLE AMARANTH FOLLOWING REPEATED LEAF HARVEST |
| Authors: | N.A. Mnzava, T. Ntimbwa |
| Abstract:
Edible leaf and seed yields in response to plant density (44; 60; 100; and 196 plants m-2) of directly seeded Amaranthus cruentus (L) cv 'Local' subject to repeated weekly leaf harvests by cutting (5 times) was studied under field conditions. Leaf yield increased significantly with density in the first harvest only; and depicted a characteristic decline in subsequent harvests where yield differences due to density became apparent only in the third harvest. Increase in total leaf yield with an optimum at 144 plants m-2 was parabolic as the yield per plant declined asymptotically. Leaf harvest index was highest in the first harvest declined thereafter and increased slightly in the fourth harvest, however, significant reduction due to density was apparent only in the second harvest. Seed yield per unit area showed a quadratic response to a maximum of 400 g m-2 at 60 plants m-2 and declined concomitantly thereafter as density increased. Seed yield per plant declined with density, however differences were not significant at 60 and 100 plants m-2. As a dual purpose crop under a weekly leaf harvest regime, a population of 100 plants m-2 is optimum. | |
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