Effect of Variety and Plant Spacing on Growth and Yield of Groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.)

A field experiment was carried out to determine the effect of variety and plant spacing on yield and growth of groundnuts. The field experiment was laid in a 3 × 3 factorial experiment in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three (3) replications. The factor A included three (3) groundnut varieties (Nkatie Sari, Sum Nutt 22 and Yenyawoso) and Factor B was the three (3) spacing of 30 cm × 15 cm, 30 cm × 30 cm and 30 cm × 40 cm. All recommended agronomic practices were followed. Data was collected from eight (8) tagged plants. Growth data were recorded on plant height, number of branches, number of leaves, and the number of flowers while yield data were collected on the number of flowers, number of pods per plant, 100 seeds weight and the pod yield (kg/ha). The plant spacing significantly influenced (P < 0.05) the growth and yield parameters. Groundnut grown at a spacing of 30 cm × 15 cm produced the maximum plant height, whereas the maximum number of leaves, number of branches and number of flowers were produced from 30 cm × 40 cm. Yenyawoso variety with a wider plant spacing performed better vegetatively among all the varieties. The Yenyawoso variety produced the highest number of pods, 100 seeds weight and pod yield as compared to the other varieties. Also, Yenyawoso at 30 cm × 40 cm spacing and Nkatie Sari at 30 cm × 15 cm spacing produced the maximum pod yield.

Growth, Development and Yield of Kenaf as Affected by Planting Dates and N Fertilization

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L) consists of various beneficial components like stalks, seeds, leaves, fibers, oils, proteins, allelopathic chemicals, and fiber strands, among other things. Despite the numerous uses of the crop, there is little or no information on optimum agronomic practices such as planting date and N fertilization of the crop in the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana where the crop is widely cultivated by smallholder farmers. Field experiments were therefore carried out in 2020 and repeated during the 2021 cropping season in the study area. The objective of the study was to determine appropriate planting date and N fertilization for increased kenaf productivity. In each year, the treatments consisted of 3 × 5 factorial combinations of three planting dates (1st July, 7th July and 14th July) and five levels of N (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 kg/ha) replicated three times. The design of the experiment was a split-plot with the N fertilizer as the main plot and the planting date assigned to sub plot. The results showed that, planting kenaf in early (1st) July or N fertilization at the rate of 60 kg/ha increased plant density, stem height, stem diameter, dry bast and core yields in both cropping seasons.

Effects of Spatial Row Arrangement and Time of Planting Intercrops on Performance of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) under Maize (Zea mays L.)—Groundnut Intercropping System in Ejura

In monoculture, crop failure due to biotic or abiotic causes can result in partial or total output failure. The yield, socio-economic, and environmental effects of intercropping on the farmer and the environment as a whole have not received much attention. There is a dearth of knowledge on the productivity of maize-groundnut intercrops in Ghana regarding the relative timing of planting and spatial arrangement of component crops. Therefore, the objective of the study was to determine the effects of spatial row arrangement and the time of planting intercrops on the productivity of groundnut under maize-groundnut intercropping. The 5 × 3 factorial field experiment was undertaken at the Miminaso community in the Ejura-Sekyedumase municipality of the Ashanti Region of Ghana during the 2020 cropping seasons. Treatments were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. The levels of row arrangement of intercrops were: one row of maize and one row of groundnut (1M1G), one row of maize and two rows of groundnut (1M2G), two rows of maize and one row of groundnut (2M1G), two rows of maize and two rows of groundnut (2M2G), sole maize and sole groundnut (M/G). The levels of time of introducing groundnut included simultaneous planting of intercrops (0 WAP), planting groundnut one week after planting maize (1 WAP) and planting groundnut two weeks after planting maize (2 WAP). There were significant (P 0.05) treatment interactions for pod and seed yields of groundnut throughout the study. The highest groundnut pod yields of 1815.00 kg/ha and 2359.00 kg/ha were recorded by the 0WAP × 1M2G treatment in the major and minor seasons of 2020, respectively, while the highest groundnut seed yields of 741.00 kg/ha and 726.00 kg/ha were recorded in the major and minor rainy seasons of 2020 by 1WAP × G and 0WAP × G treatments, respectively. The highest seed yields of groundnut (404 kg/ha and 637 kg/ha for major and minor rainy seasons, respectively) were produced by 1WAP × 2M2G.

Yield of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) as Influenced by Manure and Nitrogen Fertilizer Application

Field experiments were carried out on roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L) during the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons at the CSIR-SARI Research Station at Manga in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The aim of the experiment was to study the response of roselle to cowdung, nitrogen fertilizer and their interaction on the growth and yield of roselle. The treatments consisted of factorial combination of five rates of cowdung (0, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 t/ha) and five levels of nitrogen (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 kgN/ha) laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. Data were collected on days to 50% flowering, plant height, number of leaves per plant and dry calyx yield. The results indicated that differences in dry calyx yield due to the manure and nitrogen fertilizer effects were highly significant (P 0.01). Application rate of 2.5 t/ha manure recorded the highest yield of 340 kg/ha and 308.1 kg/ha in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Increasing manure rate from 2.5 - 3.5 t/ha did not result in significant increases in dry calyx yield. The four rates differed significantly from the control which had the least calyx yield of 190.3 kg/ha and 180 kg/ha in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Nitrogen rate of 60 kg/ha recorded the highest dry calyx yield of 510.5 kg/ha and 370.4 kg/ha in 2019 and 2020 respectively which were significantly different from calyx yields recorded by other treatments. The trend on partial budget analysis was consistent in both seasons with the highest yielding treatments (2.5 t/ha cowdung manure and 60 kg/ha) recording the highest net benefit while the control (0 kg/ha) ranked last. The application rate of 2.5 t/ha of cowdung and 60 kg/ha of Nitrogen is thus recommended for optimum roselle production and productivity in the study area.

Garden Egg (Solanum melongena L.) Performance under Different Sources of Animal Manure as a Sustainable Alternative Fertilizer for Farmers

To ensure food security, continuous intensive farming systems with limited fallowing periods and other farming systems like crop rotation have led to poor soil health with extremely low organic matter, especially in tropical regions with high organic matter mineralization. Small-scale farmers in developing countries cannot afford intensive agricultural systems with heavy chemical inputs, which have not improved soil health. Inorganic fertilizers are harmful to the environment, so farmers should use cheap, locally available organic fertilizers like animal manure, which supports organic agricultural systems and soil health. Animal manure is used as a soil amendment to improve soil health, fertility, and crop yields, but data on how different manures affect specific crops is scarce. Poultry, cattle, and goat manure were compared to no fertilizer and mineral fertilizer on garden egg phenology, vegetative growth, and yield. Poultry manure improved garden egg vegetative growth, phenology, yield, and yield components compared to the negative control and the other treatments. Poultry manure yielded the most fruit at 0.921 kg∙ha-1, followed by cattle and goat manure at 0.709 kg∙ha-1 and 0.698 kg∙ha-1. In conclusion, poultry manure may be a better alternative to synthetic NPK with yield performance similar to garden eggs and long-term soil health benefits similar to other manure sources.

Performance of Maize (Zea mays L.) and Land Equivalent Ratio under Maize-Groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) Intercropping System

Soil fertility continues to decline in Ghana due to unsustainable human activities like bush burning, quarrying, improper farming practices, among others. To resolve this challenge, crop farmers resort to continuous use of mineral fertilizers in Ghana, which contaminates the environment and makes crop farming less sustainable and productive. One of the strategies to improve soil fertility and productivity for sustainable crop yields is intercropping. Studies were, therefore, undertaken at Miminaso in the Ejura-Sekyedumase municipality of Ashanti Region of Ghana during the 2020 cropping seasons to determine the effects of spatial row arrangement and time of planting maize and groundnut intercrops on productivity of maize and land equivalent ratio (LER). One row of maize and one row of groundnut (1M1G), one row of maize and two rows of groundnut (1M2G), two rows of maize and one row of groundnut (2M1G), two rows of maize and two rows of groundnut (2M2G), sole maize (M) and sole groundnut (G) were factorially arranged with concurrent planting of intercrops (0 WAP), planting groundnut one week after planting maize (1 WAP) and planting groundnut two weeks after planting maize (2 WAP) in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicates. There were significant treatment interaction (P < 0.05) effects for shelling percentage for maize in both seasons of the trial. In the major season of 2020, the highest shelling percentage of 79.30% was associated with 0 WAP × M, while in the minor season of 2020, the highest shelling percentage of 75.02% was recorded by 0 WAP × 2M1G. The treatment interaction effects for maize grain yield were significant only in the minor season of 2020 with the highest maize grain yield of 6341 kg/ha being produced by the sole maize treatment, followed by 1 WAP × 2M2G (6152 kg/ha). The highest LER of 3.05 was associated with 1 WAP × 2M2G in the minor season of 2020. Planting groundnuts within the first week of planting maize (1 WAP) increased maize seed yield and LER in two rows of maize and two rows of groundnut (2M2G) row arrangements.

Impact of Progressive Pruning on Leaf Miner (Coelaenomenodera lameensis) Incidence and the Yield of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) —A Case Study of Benso Oil Palm Plantation Plc, Adum Banso Estate, Ghana

The oil palm leaf miner, Coelaenomenodera lameensis, is currently the most destructive pest of oil palm in Ghana and other African oil palm growing countries, causing significant losses in fresh fruit bunch yield. Progressive pruning is an oil palm pruning method in which pruning is done at the same time as fresh fruit bunch harvesting. This study evaluated the impact of progressive pruning on leaf miner population in oil palm and how these two factors (leaf miner and progressive pruning) affect the yield of oil palm at the Benso Oil Palm Plantation Public listed company (BOPP. Plc). Five distinct blocks in the plantation were selected for observations on fronds at various ranks (33, 25, or 17) based on the degree of defoliation by counting the number of pests on leaflets at different phases of insect development. Fronds from selected plots were sampled in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The size of plots used for the study ranged between 19 to 45 hectares. A minimum of 78 fronds were evenly cut from each block for pest count depending on the block size. Secondary data on annual yields of fresh fruit bunches before and after the introduction of progressive pruning were also obtained from BOPP. Plc records from 2011-2020. The results from the analyzed data on leaf miner index before and after the introduction of progressive pruning showed that progressive pruning has, to a high extent (64% to 36%), reduced leaf miner populations in the plantation. Paired t-test on fresh fruit bunch yield has also revealed a significant (p < 0.001) increase in annual fresh fruit bunch yield due to progressive pruning. A regression analysis, however, revealed a lower rate of yield loss (3.05 to 2.70 tonnes) to leaf miner infestation after the introduction of progressive pruning. The study recommends progressive pruning as a key cultural practice for improving crop yields in leaf miner prone plantations.

Additive Main Effect and Multiplicative Interaction Stability Analysis of Grain Yield Performance in Cowpea Genotypes across Locations

Crops are largely influenced by climatic conditions during the growing season and therefore, minor deviation from optimal conditions can seriously threaten yield. In view of this, knowledge on the effect of environmental factors on crop growth and development could reduce the possibilities of significant yield loss. There have been statistical methods which have been developed in respect to characterizing crops but the additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) method integrates analysis of variance and principal components analysis into a unified approach. AMMI has been used in the analysis of G × E interaction with greater precision in many crops. The objective of this study was to assess the extent of genotype x environment interaction and to select the stable cowpea genotypes in Ghanaian environments over seasons using AMMI model. Eight genotypes of cowpea released by Crops Research Institute of Ghana over two decades were selected for evaluation in two locations and two seasons using RCBD with 3 replications in forest and transitional zones of Ghana. When the mean yields of various genotypes were subjected to the AMMI model, the results showed that, a highly significant (P 0.001) genotype by location and by year interaction effects for cowpea grain yield was recorded with 63.1% of the total variation attributable to environmental effects. The AMMI Bi-plot of PC1 and GGE Bi-plot gave 80.8% and 89.3% respectively. Genotype Asontem (G3) had the highest yield and was adapted to all the environments and seasons. Genotypes Asetenapa (G1) and Soronko (G6) were however not stable with consistently low yield across all the environments. It is recommended that farmers in Forest and transitional zones of Ghana should cultivate the highly stable cowpea genotypes in order to get stable yields across environments due to climatic change.

Maize-Soybean Integration for Managing Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth in the Sudan Savannah Zone of Ghana

Field experiments were conducted at Gore near Zebila in Bawku West District of the Upper East Region of Ghana during the 2015 and 2016 cropping season on four Striga tolerant maize varieties in maize/soybean integration alongside maize monocrop as a means of managing the devastating effects of Striga. The study determined the relative Striga tolerance of the maize varieties in terms of yield and yield components, as well as the most effective intercrop for the reduction of Striga seed bank. The treatment differences were not significant (p < 0.05) in affecting plant height, plant population, leaf area index (LAI), Striga count and Striga biomass. Similarly, yield components of maize such as height of cob attachment, cob length, cob weight, 100 seed weight, grain yield, as well as straw weight were not significantly affected by the treatments. There was no relativity of Striga stress tolerance in terms of yield and yield components of the four maize varieties. All the entries efficiently tolerated the biotic stress of Striga and further supported growth and grain yield equally. There was reduced S. hermonthica seed bank production in the soil in both cropping systems. The four maize varieties are proven tolerant materials to Striga infestation and are therefore recommended for long-term Striga seed bank depletion in the study area.

Evaluation of Yield and Yield Components of Some Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) Genotypes in Forest and Transitional Zones of Ghana

Cowpea adapts very well to environmental conditions that normally affect production of crops such as drought, temperature changes and other environmental stresses. However, apart from these attributes, the growth and development of some cowpea genotypes especially during flowering stage and yield of some cowpea are affected by drought and high temperatures. Two field trials were conducted at two different locations (Mampong and Fumesua) in the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons to evaluate yield stability of eight cowpea varieties (Asontem, Tona, Nhyira, Videza, Asomdwe, Asetenapa, Soronko and Tona) released over two decades ago by CSIR-CRI in the forest and transitional zones of Ghana. The experimental design used was a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The results revealed that Asontem, Tona and Nhyira had high yields in both locations and across seasons. Asontem showed superiority amongst the genotypes across the seasons and locations with Soronko and Asetenapa having the lowest yields. The growth and development of the cowpea genotypes especially during flowering stage and yield were affected by drought and high temperatures, hence Soronko and Asetena had low yields compared to Asontem and other genotypes. It is recommended that, for farmers to get more profit due to unpredictable climatic conditions prevailing in Ghana, it will be profitable to grow early maturing cowpeas such as Asontem that can be stable across different environments in order to get stable yields with good returns.