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dc.contributor.authorRuhigwa, B.A.
dc.contributor.authorGichuru, M.
dc.contributor.authorSwennen, R.
dc.contributor.authorTariah, N.M.
dc.date.accessioned2019-12-04T11:24:52Z
dc.date.available2019-12-04T11:24:52Z
dc.date.issued1995
dc.identifier.citationRuhigwa, B.A., Gichuru, M., Swennen, R. & Tariah, N.M. (1995). Plantain production in an alley cropping system on an Ultisol in southeastern Nigeria, Alley farming research and development: Conference Proceedings of an International Conference on alley farming, Ibadan, Nigeria, 14-18 September, 1992. Ibadan, Nigeria: IITA, (p. 268-277).
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12478/4475
dc.description.abstractPlantain requires mulching for high yields and sustained productivity. Mulching is, however, labor-intensive and requires extra land for production. An experiment was conducted to determine the potential of alley cropping to supply in situ mulch for plantain production. Foliage from hedgerows of Dactyladenia barteri, Alchornea cordifolia, Senna siamea and Gmelina arborea were compared with mulch from elephant (napier) grass (Pennisetum purpureum) carried into plots that served as the no-tree control. Plantain performed best with P. purpureum mulch because this mulch shortened its fruiting cycle and gave the highest yield (17.8 t ha-1). Among the hegderow species, D. barteri mulch produced the best results because the plantain produced 85% as much bunch yield as P. purpureum mulch. However, relative yields of plantain were 77,72 and 66% for A. cordifolia, S. siamea and G. arborea, respectively. Due to differences in cycle length, cumulative yield after two years was highest in P. purpureum (35.4 t ha-1). After two years, cumulative relative yields were 51 % or less for A. cordifolia, S. siamea and G. arborea in contrast with 66% for D. barteri. D. barteri mulch reduced diurnal soil temperature fluctuations and moisture depletion as well as P. purpureum mulch. High diurnal soil temperature fluctuations, high weed infestation and superficial rooting of the hedgerow species were observed with A. cordifolia, S. siamea and G. arborea treatments which resulted in poor performance of plantain. Although P. purpureum mulch gave the best results, its use is subject to serious constraints such as the high labor requirement for cutting, transportation, application and management in addition to the extra land required for its production which cannot be justified by the higher yield. D. barteri is therefore recommended as an in-situ mulch for plantain production in this acid Ultisol.
dc.language.isoen
dc.subjectAlley Cropping
dc.subjectMulching
dc.subjectTrees
dc.subjectPlantains
dc.subjectUltisols
dc.titlePlantain production in an alley cropping system on an Ultisol in southeastern Nigeria
dc.typeConference Paper
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture
cg.contributor.affiliationKatholieke Universiteit, Leuven
cg.contributor.affiliationRivers State University of Science and Technology
cg.coverage.regionAfrica
cg.coverage.regionWest Africa
cg.coverage.countryNigeria
cg.authorship.typesCGIAR and developing country institute
cg.iitasubjectSoil Health
cg.iitasubjectCrop Systems
cg.iitasubjectPlantain
cg.iitasubjectPlant Health
cg.accessibilitystatusLimited Access
local.dspaceid100725


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