The field experiment will be carried out
in the research Farm of Faculty of
Agriculture and natural resources management Ebonyi state University ,Abakaliki, located at latitude 06 19’ 407’’N, longitude 08 07’ 73’’E and an altitude of 447m above sea level. The
experiment will be carried out in July,
2012.The experimental field will measure 37m long by 8m wide given a total area
of 296m; The total area will be manually cleared using a matchet and cultivated
with large blade dwarf hoe.
Plant spacing and weeding regimes will form
the treatments in the study and will be replicated
three [3] times in fifteen
[15] plots making a total of 45 plots. Each plot will be measured 2m × 2m (4m) with 0.5m in between plots and 1m in
between blocks.
The experiment will be carried out as
3×5 factorial in a randomized complete block design (RCBD);that is 3 plant
spacing (PS) (60cm×40cm,60cm×45cm and 60cm×50cm) and 5 weeding regimes
(WR)(0,2,4,6 and 8 weeks) as shown below ;
Plant spacing (PS) will be
Ps1
=60cm×40cm
PS2=60cm×45cm
PS3=60cm×50cm
Weeding
regime (WR) will be
WRO = 0 week
WR2
= 2 weeks
WR4
= 4 weeks
WR6
= 6 weeks
WR8
=8 weeks.
Treatment combination will be
WROPS1
= 0 week and 60cm×40cm
WR2PS1
= 2weeks and 60cm×40cm
WR4PS1
= 4 weeks and 60cm×40cm
WR6PS1
=6 weeks and 60cm×40cm
WR8PS1
= 8 weeks and 60cm×40cm
WROPS2
= 0 week and 60cm×45cm
WR2PS2
= 2 weeks and 60cm×45cm
WR4PS2
= 4 weeks and 60cm×45cm
WR6PS2 = 6 weeks and 60cm×45cm
WR8PS2
= 8 weeks and 60cm×45cm
WROPS3
= 0 week and 60cm×50cm
WR2PS3
= 2 weeks and 60cm×50cm
WR4PS3
= 4 weeks and 60cm×50cm
WR6PS3
= 6 weeks and 60cm×50cm
WR8PS3
= 8 weeks and 60cm×50cm
Planting
The seeds will be sown directly to the
field with 2 seeds per hole to a known depth of 0.5 cm and three (3) plant
spacing.
Fertilizer Application
NPK 15 :15 :15 is mostly used for
production of vegetable crops to enhance its growth and yield, it will be
applied using band placement method .
Weed Control
Weed will be controlled manually by hand
weeding or hand pulling at the interval of 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after
planting.
Harvesting
This vegetable crop will be harvested when
matured and still succulent. And will be harvested at interval of 2 to 4 days.
It matures when
it lack turn dark green after 2 months of planting.
Data to be collected
.
50% germination will be recorded
.
vine length of 4 tagged plants per plot at 5 week,
.
number of branches at 5 weeks
.
number of leaves at 5 week
.
Number of fruits per plot
. Weight of fruits per plot
Statistical Analysis
Statistical analysis of data will be
based on the procedure for a randomized complete block design (RCBD) for factorial experiment as out
lined by Steel and Torrie (1980). Seperation of treatment means for significant
effect will be by F-LSD as described by Obi (1986) and okporie (2006).
Preliminary Anova Table
|
Sources
of variation
|
General
D. f
|
Detail
of D.F
|
|
Blocks
|
r-1
|
(3-1)
=2
|
|
Treatment
|
t-1
|
(15-1)
= 14
|
|
Error
|
(r-1)(t-1)
|
2
x 14= 28
|
|
Total
|
Tr-1
|
(15
x 3 -1)= 44
|
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