This study aimed at assessing the magnitude and nature of genetic variation present in seventeen pro-vitamin A (PVA) maize varieties, investigate the extent of association among agronomic characters responsible for yield and its components in the maize varieties and evaluate the performance of the maize varieties. The field experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Rivers State University, Nkpolu, Port Harcourt under rain fed conditions in May, 2018 and were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data were collected on established plants per plot, days to 50% silking, days to 50% anthesis, anthesis-silking interval, plant height, ear height, final stand count, number of ears harvested, grain moisture content, field weight and grain yield. Results showed significant differences (P < 0.01) among varieties for all traits evaluated. PVASYN-13 had the highest grain yield per hectare among other varieties. High heritability estimates coupled with high genetic advance were observed in established plants per plot, anthesis-silking interval, final stand count, number of ears harvested, field weight and grain yield, an indication of the additive nature of their inheritance. Thus, the presence of variation could serve as basis for selection for yield improvement in maize.
In crop breeding, the selection for yield is made complex because of the quantitative and polygenic nature of the character. This study was undertaken to assess character association and show the contribution of various yield contributing characters in some maize varieties through the help of correlation and path coefficient analyses in order to identify appropriate plant characters for selection to improve maize grain yield. Seventeen maize varieties were sown in a randomized complete block design with three replications in a humid environment of Port Harcourt, Nigeria in 2018 under rainfed condition. Data were recorded for days to 50% anthesis, days to 50% silking, anthesis-silking interval, plant height (cm) and ear height (cm), number of plants per plot, number of plants harvested, number of ears harvested, moisture content (%), field weight (kg), and grain yield (t ha-1). Results showed number of plants per plot, number of plants harvested, number of ears harvested and field weight correlated positively and significantly both phenotypically and genotypically with grain yield. Path coefficient analysis at the genotypic level also revealed field weight and days to 50% anthesis as the characters exerting the highest positive direct effect on grain yield. Therefore, maize grain yield could be improved through indirect selection for these characters.
An experiment on the growth and yield responses of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) using two compound fertilizer types was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, Rivers State University Port Harcourt between March 2021 and February 2022. The treatments consisting of three cassava varieties (TME 419, TMS 95/0289, TMS 96/0523) and two compound fertilizer types (NPK 20-10-10, NPK 15-15-15) and a control without fertilizer application were combined in a split plot arrangement with cassava varieties to the main plot while fertilizer types took the subplots, in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated three times. Parameters evaluated were plant height and leaf number at four weekly interval starting at ten weeks after planting, also tuber number and tuber weight. Results show that cassava variety TME 419 interacting with NPK 15-15-15 produced the highest plant height (288.3cm) while TMS96/0523 without fertilizer application produced the lowest plant height(199cm) at harvest. Cassava variety TMS 95/0289 interacting with NPK 15-15-15 produced the highest tuber number per plot (241.3) and per stand (10.1) respectively. Cassava variety TMS 96/0523 interacting with NPK 15-15-15 produced the highest leaf number per stand (103.3). Application of NPK fertilizer especially NPK 15-15-15 enhances tuber number, leaf number and plant height. Cassava variety TMS 95/0289 produced the highest tuber number and tuber weight. Thus it is recommended that TMS 95/0289 be recommended to farmers as it produced highest tuber number and tuber weight. Also, fertilizer NPK 15-15-15 is a preferred NPK fertilizer as it produced high yield in tuber number per stand and tuber weight.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.