Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) grain yield and yield components as influenced by phosphorus application and variety in Western Kenya
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Date
2016
Authors
Wafula, Wekha N.
Nicholas, Korir K.
Henry, Ojulong F.
Siambi, Moses
Gweyi-Onyango, Joseph P.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Society for Tropical Plant Research
Abstract
Finger millet is one of the potential cereal crops that can contribute to the efforts of
realization of food security in the Sub-Saharan Africa. However, scientific information available
with regards to improving soil phosphorus supply and identification of P efficient varieties for the
crops potential yield is limited. In order to investigate the effects of P levels on yield components
and grain yield On-station field experiments were conducted in two sites of western Kenya during
the long and short rain seasons of 2015. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete
Block Design in factorial arrangement with four levels of P (0, 12.5, 25 and 37.5 kg P2O5 ha-1 and
three finger millet varieties (U-15, P-224 and a local check-Ikhulule) and the treatments replicated
three times. The increase of phosphorus levels significantly (P≤0.05) increased the grain yield
over the control up to 25 kg P2O5 ha-1 during the long rain seasons and 25 kg P2O5 ha-1 during the
short rain seasons in both sites. Interactions at P≤0.05 were revealed on the grain yield where
improved variety P-224 at 25 kg P2O5 ha-1 produced the highest grain yield of 4.74 t.ha-1 in Alupe
and 4.77 t.ha-1 in Kakamega and the consistent results suggest that the combination is highly
recommended. Therefore the use of judicious and proper rates of P fertilizers can markedly
increase the grain yield of finger millet in western Kenya
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Finger millet, Potential cereal, Food security, Phosphorus supply, Judicious
Citation
Wafula WN, Nicholas KK, Henry OF, Siambi M & Gweyi-Onyango JP (2016) Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) grain yield and yield components as influenced by phosphorus application and variety in Western Kenya. Tropical Plant Research 3(3): 673–680