Effect of the Variety and Fertilizers on the Resumption and the Growth in Seedbed of the Rejections of Xanthosoma sagittifolia (L.) Schott: A Case Study under Goma Conditions

Abstract

Evaluating the effect of the variety and the fertilizers (compost and mineral manure DAP) on the rate of recovery and the growth in seedbed of the rejections based on two varieties of Xanthosoma sagittifolia (L.) Schott, produced by the PIF method, a case study was carried out in Goma town by using four types of treatments: T₀ (witnesses); T₁ (compost); T₂ (DAP), and T₃ (compost + DAP) for each variety.

The test was carried out using an experimental device of the complete randomized blocks covering four blocks, to four treatments each one for every variety. The rejections were planted on the spacing of 30 x 30 cm. The total of 640 rejections were planted, on the plot respecting 20 rejections under the spacing of 2,4 m².

The insurance realised during this investigation focused on the rate undertaken to the planted rejections, the diameter on the collet of seedlings, the number of formed leaves and the leaf area of the seedlings. Four seedlings per elementary plot were picked up by taking into account the fence effect in measuring these parameters. This study covered a period between March 24 and September 24, 2020. The effects of compost and mineral manure DAP on the growth parameters were appreciated by a variance analysis to a criterion classified with SPSS 20 software (IBM SPSS Statistic, 2015). The threshold of significance was fixed to 0,05%.

The achieved results on this case study are summarised in the following way:

1. The rate of resumption of the planted rejections was 100% for the whole experimented treatments for two varieties;
2. The seedlings of the green variety were more vigorous than the violet variety (F = 12,975; P = 0,000). These results show that the strength of the seedlings obtained depends on the experimented variety. Nevertheless, the different types of fertilizers tested did not influence the strength of the seedlings installed (F = 0,851; P = 0,468);
3. Neither the varieties, nor the treatments tested affected the increase in deployment of formed leaves (F = 1,325; P = 0,251 and F = 0,326; P = 0,806);
4. The green variety produced many seedlings with great leaves area compared to the violet variety (F = 21,989; P = 0,000). On the other hand, the different types of tested fertilisers did not affect the increase in dimension of formed leaves (F = 2,130; P = 0,099).

Although comparing the averages of the different treatments tested within the varieties, there is no slight difference, it is some up from the whole of the total obtained results that the green variety answers the organomineral fertilization well and it is adapted to the pedoclimatic conditions of the experimental site.