EFFECT OF SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT, PLANT ARCHITECTURE AND CROPPING SYSTEM ON THE GROWTH, YIELD AND YIELD-RELATED COMPONENTS OF CASSAVA (Manihot esculenta L)

Field trials were conducted in 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 cropping seasons in three agro-ecological zones of the country to evaluate the growth and yield parameters of cassava as a response to spatial arrangement, plant architecture and cropping systems. The treatments consisted of seven different cropping associations (sole cassava, sole groundnut, sole cowpea, sole soybean, cassava + cowpea, cassava + groundnut and cassava + soybean), two cassava architectures (branched and erect) and two spatial arrangements (1 m x 1 m and 2 m x 0.5 m). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications.

The results show that spatial arrangement, pant architecture and cropping systems were highly significant concerning plant height, stem girth and canopy width. The erect cassava variety intercropped with soybean at a spatial orientation of 1 m x 1 m recorded the highest values across the times of observation. The results further reveal significant differences in the number of marketable roots, stem yield, storage root yield and total biomass concerning spatial arrangement, plant architecture and cropping systems. The cassava-soybean system planted at 1mx1m spatial orientation recorded the highest values among the yield parameters assessed. Thus, the growth and yield components of cassava could be improved by intercropping erect cassava variety with soybean at a spatial orientation of 1 m x 1 m.