Diagonal Offset Arrangement and Spacing Architecture Effect on Growth and Yield Components of Grain Amaranth in Kenya
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Date
2017
Authors
Rotich, Alice Ngetich
Gweyi-Onyango, Joseph P
Korir, Nicholas K
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Asian Research Journal of Agriculture
Abstract
The grain Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) is often referred to as the crop of the future because of
its advantages both for production and consumption. However, the grain amaranth has an underexploited potential that can contribute to food security, nutrition, health, income generation and
environmental services. However, productivity of the crop in Kenya where it is grown in small plots
has not been fully utilized. The current study was conducted to find out how conventional intra row
spacing and diagonal offset spacing influence growth and yield of grain amaranth. A field
experiment was carried out at Kenyatta University field station. It was laid out in a randomized
complete block design (RCBD) with two arrangements (Conventional and Diagonal Offset) and two
row spacings (30 cm × 15 cm and 15 cm × 15 cm) that was replicated three times. The longest roots
(23.0 cm) were observed in the diagonal offset with 15×15 cm during season one and the widest
stem diameter were elicited under the 15×15 cm in the diagonal offset arrangement with 0.62 cm
and 1.05 cm recorded during the first and second season, respectively. The root mass under the diagonal offset arrangement at 15×15 cm spacing had the highest with 26.3 g and 25.0 g per plant
during the first and second season, respectively. The least leaf area per plant was recorded under
the narrow spacing (15×15 cm) of the conventional arrangement for both seasons while the greatest
was under the narrow spacing of the diagonal offset arrangement recording a mean of 1200 cm2
and 1230 cm2 for the first and second seasons, respectively. The diagonal offset arrangement under
the narrow spacing showed the highest grain yield per plant with a mean of 48.2 g during the first
season and 47.22 g during the second season. There were no significant differences between the
treatments on the number of leaves, plant height, number of branches per plant and the 1000-seed
mass. The Diagonal offset arrangement led to improved performance of grain amaranth in both
seasons and is therefore highly recommended especially in the narrow spacing of 15×15 cm. In
conclusion, results of this study revealed that the narrow spacing of 15×15 cm under the diagonal
offset arrangement led to the best performance of grain amaranth and is highly recommended.
Description
Article
Keywords
Grain Amaranth, diagonal offset, plant-level plasticity, spacing arrangement
Citation
Rotich, A., Gweyi-Onyango, J., & Korir, N. (2017). Diagonal offset arrangement and spacing architecture effect on growth and yield components of grain amaranth in Kenya. Asian Research Journal of Agriculture, 6(1), 1-8.