Response of Irrigated Groundnut to Polythene Mulching on Broad Bed and Furrows during the Low Temperature Months in Nigeria

Summary

Experiments were conducted during the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 dry seasons to evaluate the response of selected groundnut varieties to Polythene Mulching (PM) on Broad Bed and Furrows (BBF) in the Sudan Savanna of Nigeria.The treatments consisted of PM vs without mulch (control) and four groundnut varieties, laid out in split plot design with four replications. The result showed that PM positively and significantly influenced the phenological and physiological variables as well as the yield and yield component of groundnut. Plots with PM had emergence at a mean of 8 days earlier and attained days to 50% flowering and maturity 11 and 10 days earlier than the control. PM had positive and significant effects on all of the phenological, growth, and yield parameters (100 seed weight, Spad Chlorophyll Meter Reading, LAI and shelling percentage) of groundnut. These effects ranged from 5% advantage in Spad Chlorophyll Meter Reading at 40DAS to 29% at LAI 60DAS. Mean pod yield of the mulch treatments (3,401 kg ha-1) was 39% higher than the control (2,102 kg ha-1). Samnut-24 had the highest pod yield of 4,009 kg ha-1 under the PM treatments. PM also increased the haulm production by 26% over the control treatment (4,775 vs 3,505 kg ha-1). The experiment showed that it is possible to produce high groundnut pod and haulm yields using PM on BBF in the Sudan Savanna of Nigeria.

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