Effect Of Defoliation On The Growth And Seed Yield Of Four Groundnut (Arachis Hypogaea L.) Cultivars

Effect Of Defoliation On The Growth And Seed Yield Of Four Groundnut (Arachis Hypogaea L.) Cultivars

Abstract

Four groundnut( Arachis hypogaeaL.) kinds( SAMNUT 21, SAMNUT 22, SMANUT 23 and SAMNUT 24) were grown in the Botanical theater , Department of Biological lores, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to determine the goods of defoliation on the growth and yield of the kinds. The trials were laid out in a fully randomized design with five treatments( defoliation) situations. The shops were subordinated to 5 situations of defoliation 0( no defoliation), 25, 50, 75 and 100 at 5 weeks after planting( WAP). The shops were tried at 4, 7 and 10 WAP for assessment of growth parameters and at crop the yield parameters were determined. The results of this study revealed that, 75 defoliation increased factory height in utmost cases. The control and 25 defoliation were set up to increase root nodes, shoot and root dry matter, and shoot and root relative growth rate( RGR) in utmost cases. The 75 and 100 defoliation situations were set up to significantly reduce vegetative parameters in groundnut kinds except factory height. The control and 50 defoliation had the loftiest flower product but flower product dropped with increase in defoliation with 100 defoliation position being the smallest in utmost cases. Total capsules, number of progressed capsules per factory, haulms weight, cover dry weight and seed weight dropped with increase in defoliation but the number of immatured capsules per factory increased with increase in defoliation position. The 25 and 50 defoliation situations were set up to increase cover yield and haulms weight independently but the 100 defoliation position produced the smallest yield in utmost cases. The data showed that kinds SAMNUT 22 and SAMNUT 21 showed advanced values in vegetative parameters and yield parameters than the other kinds. Also, SAMNUT 23 showed the smallest values in both vegetative and yield parameters. In conclusion, the impact of defoliation on both vegetative and yield varies among kinds. The 25 and 50 defoliation increased vegetative and yield parameters in utmost cases but the 75 and 100 defoliation situations negatively reduced factory development and yield.

Chapter One

Preface

Origin and Bracket of Groundnut

Groundnut( Arachis hypogeaL.) belongs to Family Fabaceae,Sub-Family Papilionaceae, Genus Arachis and Species hypogaea. It began from Latin America and was introduced into West Africa by Portuguese dealers in the 16th century( Shankarappa etal., 2003; Olawale etal., 2014). The origin of this crop dates back to 350 BC( Hommones, 1994). Hommones,( 1994) also reported that, the first probable domestication of groundnut took place in the vale of the Panama and Paraguay River System in the Grain Chaco area of South America and also move to the North America through slave trade.

Botanical Description

Reports showed that the cultivated groundnuts are divided into two large botanical groups

„ Virginia ‟ and „ Spanish- Valencia ‟, on the base of branching pattern “ alternate ” and “ successional ”. They stated that these cultivars are group within the two branching pattern considered as species. In the „ Virginia ‟ group, the main stem doesn’t have reproductive axes. Interspersing dyads of vegetative and reproductive axes are borne on the laterals branches and on other branches. In the „ Spanish- Valencia ‟ group, reproductive branches are borne in a series on consecutive bumps of the cotyledonary and other side branches, on which the first branch is always reproductive. Reproductive branches are also borne directly on the main axis at advanced bumps( Prasad etal., 2010).

Conditions for Groundnut Growth

Groundnut is basically a tropical factory and requires a long and warm growing season. The favourable climate for groundnut is a well- distributed downfall of at least 500 mm during the crop- growing season, and with cornucopia of sun and fairly warm temperature.