ABSTRACT

A study was carried out in 2023/2024 at the Department of Crop Science Screen House, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Ugbowo Campus, Benin City to evaluate the effect of spent mushroom substrate admixed with topsoil on tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus Lativum) agronomic performance. The trial involved five rates 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200g) of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) admixed with 3kg of top soil laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) and replicated three times. Growth parameters were taken at 3, 6 and 9 weeks after planting (WAP). The growth parameters observed were plant height (cm), stem girth (cm), number of leaves. Shoot dry weight (g), root dry weight (g), harvest index, Nut yield (t ha^-1) were also taken at 10 and 12 (WAP). Results showed that sand particles decreased with increasing rate of SMS application, SMS application positively influenced plant height, stem girth, number of leaves, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, harvest index and nut yield. Plants produced from topsoil only media had the lowest nut yield (0.23t ha^-1) while those produced from topsoil treated with 200g SMS media had the highest nut yield value (0.64t ha^-1). However, all SMS treated growth media had similar nut yield. Topsoil treated with SMS at 50g is thereby suggested for the production of tiger nut.