PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE INTERRELATIONSHIP OF TILLERS, PLANT DENSITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF MILLET (Pennisetum typhoides (Burm) S. and H.)

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PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE INTERRELATIONSHIP OF TILLERS, PLANT DENSITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF MILLET (Pennisetum typhoides (Burm) S. and H.)

Abstract:

The physiological implications of tiller number, intra – row spacing and their interactions were studied at Institute of Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria using Dauro, Maiwa and SAMMIL-7 varieties of millet as the test crop. The physiological observations and measurements made included time to 50% flowering, number of tillers developed, number of tillers that produced useable heads, nodal tillers produced, leaf number, leaf area, leaf area index, plant height, head length and diameter, harvest index, and grain yield from mainstem and from tillers. The varieties varied significantly in some of these characters studied. All the varieties responded to increased spacing by developing more tillers, and up to an average of 14.4 tillers per plant were developed in Maiwa. The three varieties varied significantly (P = 0.01) in the time they took to reach 50% flowering, with Dauro taking the longest time (102 days) and SAMMIL-7 the shortest (56 days). Reduction in tiller number and the closer spacing significantly reduced (he time taken by Dauro to flower, increased the percentage of seeded heads, grain yield and tiller contribution to grain yield over the control. Analysis of the tillers showed thai Dauro had the highest percentage of ear bearing tillers (73.1 %). followed by Maiwa (69.8%), while SAMMIL-7 had the least (53.1 %). But Maiwa had the highest percentage of heads that seeded well (86.1%) followed by SAMMIL-7 (75.6%), while Dauro had the least (67.6%). Tiller contribution to yield was high, ranging from 66.9% in SAMMIL-7 to 73.4% in Maiwa. Reducing the tiller number to two in Dauro and two and four in Maiwa increased grain yield above the control, but was of no added advantage in SAMMIL-7. A closer spacing and decreased tiller number significantly reduced the percentage seeded heads in SAMMIL-7, a dwarf variety. Nodal tiller production was closely associated with time of repening when the weather was still wet. thus it was highest in the early variety SAMMIL-7 and least in the late variety Dauro. SAMMIL-7 had the highest harvest index under different spacings and tiller numbers compared with Maiwa and Dauro, and there was little variation within each variety. In Dauro there was a significant (P = 0.05) positive correlation between grain yield and plant height (r = +0.586) as well as percentage headed tillers (r = +0.523) and leaf area index (r = +0.659). However, significant negative correlation (r = -0.552) was observed between nodal tillers and yield. There was no consistency in the yield contributing factors among the varieties and years.

PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE INTERRELATIONSHIP OF TILLERS, PLANT DENSITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF MILLET (Pennisetum typhoides (Burm) S. and H.)

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