Abstract:
This research evaluated the effects of weather patterns on the yield of three selected white yam cultivars 'Yalzo', 'Jajetin' and 'Dan Anacha' in Ardo-kola LGA, Taraba State. The experiment was conducted during the 2016/2017 growing season along Sunkani - Bali highway opposite College of Agriculture Jalingo Taraba State. The experiment was carried out in Randomized Complete Block Designed (RCBD) using 3 replications. The meteorological data were collected from Taraba State University Jalingo, meteorological station throughout the growing season. Based on weather patterns during the cropping season, highest rainfall was recorded in the month of August with the total of 175mm and decreases toward October. There is inverse relationship with rainfall and Maximum temperature, Minimum temperature and sunshine hours, while Relative Humidity showed a direct relationship with rainfall. Correlation result showed that, almost all the climatic elements correlates positively with (Tuber bulking) yam yields with relative humidity and soil temperature displaying highly positive correlation with yam yield at 0.01 probability level. Variation in yield of yam revealed that, there is a variation in the number of tuber per plant, tuber length, and total number of tuber per plot, weight of tuber per plot and tuber yield per hectare at P=0.05, number of stem node at P=0.01. It also revealed that cultivar 1 (Yalzo) proved to be the Cultivar that has the highest yield per plot and per hectare and responded well with the prevailing climatic condition of the Study Area, followed by jajetin (C2) and then by Dan onicha (C3). It is recommended that, cultivation of Yalzo should be promoted in the study area and early planting be encouraged by famers in order to improve the cultivation of yam in the study area |
