An experiment on the optimum planting density and Phosphorus requirement of a local Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivar, 'Graffi' was carried out at the Crop Science Research Farm of the University of Calabar, in the humid area of southeastern Nigeria, during the growing seasons of 2007 and 2008. Five Phosphorous rates 90, 20, 30, 40 and 50 kg P O /ha) were applied to five plant densities of Groundnut 2 5 (47619, 57128, 71428, 95238 and 142857 plants/ha) laid out in a RCB design in three replications. Parameters assessed were plant height, branches /plant, dry biomass yield/ha, filled pods/plant and seed yield/ha. Results showed significant (P=0.05) effect of planting density on plant height, while phosphorus rates influenced the number of filled pods/plant and seed yield/ha. Tallest plants with mean height of 53.2 cm were in plots containing 142,853 plants/ha, while the highest mean number of 15.2 filled pods/plant and correspondingly highest mean seed yield of 1078.3 kg/ha were obtained by applying 40 kg P O /ha to 95,238 plants/ha. It was 2 5 concluded that the plant density of 95,238 plants/ha with application of 40kg P 0 /ha would enhance optimum 2 5 productivity of groundnut in the humid areas of southeastern Nigeria.

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Nutrient potassium is critical in plantain (Musa spp. cv. AAB) nutrition and may play a key role in its vegetative growth and bunch development. Growth 0f both plant and ratoon crops was enhanced by application of 400 kg k 2 0 /ha. Tallest plants were 350cm tall with thickest trunks or pseudostem (56-58 cm thick) girth, had highest (11-12) number of functional leaves/plant at flowering and attained the booting stage after nine months of vegetative growth. Application of 300 kg muriate of potash (K 2 0) per hectare to the plant crop and 400 kg K 2 0/ha to the ratoons significantly (P = 0.05) influenced the bunch yield and yield components (number of hands and fingers/bunch, finger mass, girth and length). Bunch yield increased with increasing K20 rates applied. Highest bunch yield increases of 5.86 and 6.00 tonnes/ha were obtained by fertilizing the plant and ratoon crops with 300 and 400 kg k20/ha, respectively. Heaviest bunches were 8.8 and 9.8 kg/plant in plant and ratoon crops, giving the respective corresponding bunch yields of 15.7 and 16.3 tonnes/ha. An application of 300 kg K 2 0/ha to the plant crop and 400 kg K20/ha at the ratoon stage would be adequate for sustainable productivity of False Horn plantain in the high rainforest zone of Cross River State, Nigeria.

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