PERFORMANCE OF PINEAPPLE (Ananas comosus L. MERRIL. VAR. SMOOTH CAYENNE) AS INFLUENCED BY TILLAGE SYSTEM AND SUCKER SIZE
Keywords:
Conventional tillage, reduced tillage, leaf area, D-leaf length, D-leaf widthAbstract
Optimizing pineapple production through proper agronomic practices, particularly by understanding the impact of tillage systems and sucker size, is crucial for efficient and productive cultivation. This study was conducted to validate the effects of sucker size on growth and yield of smooth cayenne pineapple under two tillage systems. A field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo. It was a 2 x 3 factorial, arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. Conventional tillage- T1 and Reduced tillage -T2 was the main factor while three classes of sucker size (S1 = Small (50-200 g); S2 = Medium (201-400 g) and S3 = Big (≥ 401 g) was the sub plot factor. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using statistical software (SAS) and means separation using (DMRT) at 5% probability. There were significant differences in pineapple growth and yield attributes between the two tillage methods and among the three sucker sizes. Conventional tillage system was significantly superior in terms of pineapple plant height (65.92 cm), numbers of leaves (29.57), D-leaf width (3.18 cm), leaf area (103.43 cm2) and fruit yield (32.98 t/ha) while reduced tillage system was the least. Big sucker (≥400 g) was superior and best in terms of pineapple plant height (78.66 cm), number of leaves (39.56), D-leaf length (64.09 cm), D-leaf width (3.42), leaf area (132.26 cm2) and fruit yield (53.66 t/ha), followed by the medium sucker while small sucker was the least. Conclusively, Conventional tillage practice, specifically constructing beds, is the most effective method for land preparation to improve pineapple growth and yield while big suckers ≥401 g are most suitable for planting pineapple, leading to good growth and optimal yield.
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