Substituting wooden sticks with plastic stakes in yam production in in Niger State, Nigeria.

Abstract

This study is an approach to addressing the problem of yam stakes in the middle belt agro-ecological zone of Nigeria. The aim was to find an alternative to the cutting down of tree branches for the purpose of staking in yam production. The environmental degradation due to deforestation is becoming enormous; a further hewing down of trees is contributing to this catastrophe of deforestation. Various agronomic approaches as the use of plastic mulches, varying length of staking among others, have in the past been recommended to solving this problem. This study attempts to substitute wooden sticks with PVC-plastic stakes in yam production. The experiment conducted at the Crop Production Experimental farm, Gidan Kwano Campus, Federal University of Technology Minna, used two staking methods (wooden sticks, PVC-plastic stakes and a control [no staking]). Results show a significantly more number of vine branches on p PVC-plastic staked yam compared to wooden sticks. Leaves on the vines of staked yam were significantly higher than those of the control, while yield of yam from heaps with PVC-plastic stakes was significantly higher than those from wooden sticks and the control plots (of no staking) which was the poorest. The use of PVC-plastic stacks has a good potential in yam production, thereby contributing to environmental improvement.

KEY WORDS:        PVC-Plastic stakes, Tuber setts, Twigs/tree branches, Wooden sticks, Tuber yield.