Effect of spacing and fertilizer rate on the performance of cassava cultivar, Perintis, planted on two peat soils

S. K. Chan and S. L. Tan

Abstract

The new cassava cultivar, Perintis, differs from the cultivar Black Twig in being branched, having shorter stature, less aerial growth and a higher yielding capacity. To find the best combination of planting distance and fertilizer rate for this cultivar, it was tested at peat locations in Jalan Kebun and Pontian at three spacings and three fertilizer rates as a factorial design in three randomised complete blocks. Before application of the treatments, the peat in each plot was sampled to determine pH and nutrient contents. The two soils were also analysed after the crops were harvested. Plant analyses for nutrient contents were done on leaf samples collected at 3 months after planting, and on stem samples collected at 12 months. Data were collected from each plot on plant height, root number, root yield and specific gravity of roots. The trials showed that at Pontian the plants with the closest spacing of 0.6 m x 0.6 m gave significantly the highest mean root yield of 29.7 t/ha corresponding to the mean root number, 95 226/ha. However, this yield level was outclassed by that obtained at Jalan Kebun, where the mean yield over all the treatments was 137.0 t/ha corresponding to the mean root number, 268 368/ha. The effect of spacing was nullified by the high productivity of this peat soil. The highest fertilizer rate significantly increased plant height only at Pontian, while root yield or root number was not affected by the changes in fertilizer rate at both locations. The difference in yield performance between the two peat soils was discussed with reference to nutrient contents in soil and leaf samples. To conclude, it is possible to improve low yield by adopting closer planting density, but it is more important to identify the conducive growing conditions in peat for maximising yield from Perintis.

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