African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6863

Full Length Research Paper

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer effects on cassava tuber yield in the coastal district of Dondo, Mozambique

Ivan B. Cuvaca
  • Ivan B. Cuvaca
  • Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, 3724 Throckmorton PSC, 1712 Claflin Road, Manhattan, KS 66506-0110, USA.
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Neal S. Eash
  • Neal S. Eash
  • Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, 2506 E. J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-4531, USA.
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Dayton M. Lambert
  • Dayton M. Lambert
  • Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, 321 Morgan Hall, 2621 Morgan Circle, Knoxville, TN 37996-4518, USA.
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Forbes R. Walker
  • Forbes R. Walker
  • Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, 2506 E. J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-4531, USA.
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William Rustrick
  • William Rustrick
  • Clinton Development Initiative, Lilongwe, Malawi.
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  •  Received: 25 July 2017
  •  Accepted: 29 August 2017
  •  Published: 19 October 2017

Abstract

Meeting an increasing demand for cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) by industrial and commercial food sectors requires basic agronomic information on fertilizer requirements and appropriate fertilizer recommendations for high tuber yield and quality. A no-till study involving twenty fertilizer treatments consisting of different combinations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizer rates was initiated in 2013 at Milha-14, in the coastal district of Dondo, Sofala province, Mozambique. The objective of the study was to assess cassava yield performance under different soil fertility and smallholder farm conditions. Applying only 60 kg/ha N (fertilizer combination: 60-0-0 kg/ha N-P2O5-K2O) yielded less (8.5 tons/ha) compared to the unfertilized control treatment (14.7 tons/ ha). Applying 60 kg/ha N combined with 60 kg/ha P2O5 (60-60-0 N-P2O5-K2O kg/ha) yielded the highest (27.7 tons/ha; p < 0.05). No response to K was observed, but K additions are recommended to avoid K mining.

 

Key words: Cassava, tuber yield, fertilizer.

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This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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