EFFECT OF PLANT POPULATION AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF LATE-SOWN COTTON IN NIGERIA
EFFECT OF PLANT POPULATION AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF LATE-SOWN COTTON IN NIGERIA
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Date
1984-10
Authors
AKPAN IDEM, NDITOI UDO
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Abstract
Field experiments were conducted for a three-year
(1979-81) period at Samaru (between 11°11'N and 07°38'E,
666 m above mean sea level) and Mokwo (o9°l8!N and 05°04'E,
152 m above mean sea level) in the northern and southern
Guinea savanna zones, respectively, to study the effect of
cultivar, plant population, and nitrogen fertilization on
growth and yield of late-sown cotton (late July).
'Super okra' consistently outyielded 'Samaru 71' and
'Bar 14/25 throughout the three-year period at both
locations, 'Super okra' which responded favourably to
higher population density was also found to be more early
maturing than the other two cultivars.
Seed cotton yield increased significantly with
application of nitrogen. The economic optimum level of N
was found to be 64.0 kg N ha-1 for both locations but
40 kg N ha -1 could be used by the hoe farmers profitably.
At Samaru, increased plant population resulted in
increased seed cotton yield but the reverse was true at Mokwa
location. The optimum plant population for 'Samaru 71' was
—1
108,000 plants ha and that of 'Super okra' was 149,500
plants ha-1 However, at Mokwa, the optimum population was
outside the range of plant population tested.
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July-sown cotton responded favourably to a row spacing
of 75 cm at Mokwa as compared to the currently recommended
spacing of 90 cm.
The interaction between cultivar and plant population
was significant on seed cotton and lint yields at Mokwa
only in 1979 growing season. Similarly the interaction
between nitrogen level and plant population was significant
on seed cotton yield at Samaru in 1980 growing season alone.
The major yield contributing characters were:
average number of mature bolls per plant, LAI at 15 weeks
after sowing (WAS) average number of fruiting branches m-2
at 15 WAS, average boll weight, plant height and total dry
-2 matter m .
Description
A thesis submitted to the Postgraduate School,
Ahmadu Bello University
in partial fulfilment of the requirement
for the Degree of
Dcetor of Philosophy in Agronomy
•
DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZARIA, NIGERIA
OCTOBER 1984
Keywords
PLANT POPULATION,, NITROGEN,, LATE-SOWN,, FERTILIZATION,, COTTON IN NIGERIA