You have no items in your shopping cart.
ABSTRACT
There is a growing interest in the use of macro-propagation using semi-autotrophic hydroponics as a method of cassava propagation due to its potential to improve the quality and quantity of planting materials. Macro-propagation using semi-autotrophic hydroponics is a relatively new method of cassava propagation that has shown promising results in terms of improving the quality and quantity of planting materials. SAH uses single or double nodal cuttings with the leaves from tissue culture plantlets, sterilized substrate such as Klassman or vermiculite and formulated nutrient solutions as growth medium. The substrates serves as a component for preparing a rich growth medium for the plantlets. However, there is a need to test the technology with locally available substrates intending to scale it down to seed companies and farmers. The objective of the study was to assess the performance of cassava plantlet sunder semi-autotrophic hydroponics using different substrates. The study was conducted in the screen house of the Department of Crop Science, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. The study included three substrates (cocopeat [from coconut husk], sawdust and rice hull) and two cassava varieties (Game Changer and Poundable). The experiment was a 3 x 2 factorial laid out as completely randomized design with three replications. Single nodal cuttings of each cultivar were obtained from the field and planted in SAH boxes containing the substrates on the 16th of January, 2024. Fertigation of the substrates was done by using about 4.15g of mixed NPK fertilizer dissolved in 25 litres of water. The results indicated that the substrates were significantly different in four agronomic characters except in plant height, plant girth and weight of propagules. Cultivars were significantly different in most characters except in weight of stem propagules. Cocopeat (6.7) had the highest number of nodes and this was followed by sawdust (4.5) and rice hull (3.2). Percent emergence was also highest for cocopeat (33.5%) and was followed by rice hull (16.7%) and sawdust (10.0%). Cocopeat was adjudged as the best substrate, and was followed by sawdust and rice hull. Variable genetic response among cultivars was observed with Poundable having the highest response for all characters.
