Tuber Yield and Yield Component Performance of Cassava (Manihot esculenta)‎ Varieties in Fafen District, Ethiopia

Abstract EN

Since there is a variety of performance in cassava varieties for different agroecologies and there was no cassava production before in Ethiopian Somali regional state, Fafen district in particular.

Investigation of the performance of higher tuber yielded cassava variety is the main concern for this study.

Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate tuber yield performance of cassava varieties.

To do so, four varieties (kello, Qulle, Hawassa-4, and Chichu) were collected from Hawassa Agricultural Research Center and planted in Fafen district where there is arid climatic condition.

Thirty-centimeter-long stakes were planted with 1 m × 1 m intra- and inter-row spacing with Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD).

There were four rows, five plants per row and twenty plants per plot.

Phenological, growth, and agronomic parameters were analyzed using SAS software; mean differences were compared using LSD at p≤0.05.

The result revealed that days to 50% establishment of the stem cuttings of variety “Qulle” were performed within 15.6 days.

Among all varieties, Chichu and Hawassa-4 had the highest number of plant stand count, 88.3 and 86.7%, respectively.

The highest number of mean multiplication ratio, secondary branches per plant, and mean plant height were obtained with variety “Qulle.” With regards to tuber yield and its components, there was significant difference among understudied cassava varieties.

The highest tuber yield (23.93 t/ha) was registered in variety “Hawassa-4” followed by Kello (19.90 t/ha) and Qulle (18.73 t/ha).

It implies that variety “Hawassa-4” performed best in the test area and hence recommended in test area.