ABSTRACT
A study was carried out to evaluate the growth and yield of Dioscorea spp. to garden soil, poultry manure and their combinations as potting media. The different cultivars used were; two types of white yam (D. rotundata) called Ada Onitsha and Fakasa, water yam (D. alata), and yellow yam (D. cayenensis). The experiment was carried out in bags in the university of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. The treatments were: garden soil alone (1:0), one part garden soil + one part poultry manure (1:1) and two parts garden soil + one part poultry manure (2:1). The experimental layout was a Completely Randomized Design with three replications. It was a 3×4 factorial. Data was collected and recorded at 9 weeks after planting. Harvesting was done for months after planting for one cultivar (Ada onitsha). At 7 months after planting, harvesting was done for the rest cultivars except yellow yam which was harvested at 9 months after planting. Genstat Statistical Package was used to test the significance of the treatment mean by subjecting the data collected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). From the results, it was observed at nine weeks the various potting media treatment showed no significant differences in number of vine, leaf area, stem girth, number of leaves, internode length, petiole length and height at first branching. But, the cultivar showed significant differences in number of vines, leaf area, stem girth, and petiole length. There was significance among the tuber length. In the cultivars, high significance was observed in number of vines, leaf area, petiole length, number of tubers and tuber girth. Water yam had a higher fresh tuber yield per bag (2.21kg) compared to others with lower yield; Ada Onitsha (1.21kg), Fakasa (1.39kg) and vi yellow yam (1.43kg). Two part garden soil + one part poultry manure (1:1) had the highest yield of fresh tuber per bag (1.91kg) than one part garden soil + one part poultry manure (1:1) which produced (1.56kg), control media, garden soil alone (1:0) produced (1.21kg). Therefore, the combination of garden soil and poultry manure with ratio 2:1 is recommended for production of yam in containers.
