2025/06/08 by Aondona, O., Imogie, A. E., Ilori, E. G. +3
#Oil palm #groundnut yield #pepper #shade #turmeric
paper · doi:10.82552/njhs.v29i1.133-140
Field experiment was conducted at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Benin City, Edo State in 2021 and 2022 at field 18. This work aim to investigate the performance of some food crops planted under shade and without shade in a 14 year old oil palm plantation. The experiment consisted of six treatments (Ginger, turmeric, groundnut, maize, pineapple and pepper) planted under shade and without shade. The treatments were arranged in RCBD. Data were subjected to statistical analysis while their means and variance were further subjected to t-test. Data were collected for growth and yield in 2021 and 2022. The results showed that turmeric under shade and without shade were similar in plant height, stem girth, number of leaves and leaf area, while those with shade produced significantly (P< 0.05) higher yield of 41.2 % increase in 2021, while in 2022 similar yield was observed from plot with and without shade. Ginger with and without shade produced similar growth, number of tuber /plant and tuber yield in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Maize plant without shade produced significantly taller plant, more leaves and increased yield in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Pineapple planted under shade produced significantly bigger fruit yield with 77.6 % and 207% increase in 2021 and 2022, respectively, than those planted without shade. Pepper yield was similar in plots with and without shade in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Groundnut produced taller plant and higher leaf area under shade, groundnut yield was similar in plots with and without shade in 2021 and 2022.Soils without shade contain increased phosphorus while soils under shade contain increased carbon, moisture content and soil water holding capacity.In conclusion shade has negative effect on yield of maize, but has no negative effect on yield of pepper, turmeric, ginger, groundnut and pineapple.