Impact of Two Compound Fertilizer Types on the Performance of Three Cassava Varieties (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in Humid Tropics, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

The evaluation of the performance of three cassava varieties was studied using two compound fertilizer types at the Teaching and Research Farm, Rivers State University Port Harcourt between March 2021 and February 2022. The treatments were combined in a split plot arrangement in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. Parameters evaluated were number of branches and canopy diameter at four weekly intervals starting from tenth weeks after planting and ending to fresh/dry pulp weight and fresh/dry peel weight were also taken. Results show that cassava variety TMS 95/0289 interacting with NPK 15-15-15 produced the highest branches per plot (24.7), TMS 96/0523 interacting with NPK 15-15-15 produced the widest canopy diameter per stand (263.1cm), fresh peels weight and dry peels weight (129.7g and 100.3g). TME 419 interacting with NPK 15-15-15 compound fertilizer produced the highest fresh and dry pulp weight with mean values of 722.7 and 487.0. Application of NPK fertilizer especially NPK 15-15-15 enhanced number of branches, dry pulp weight, dry peels weight and canopy diameter. TME 419 had higher fresh/dry pulps and dry peels weight while TMS 96/0523 had high fresh peels weight and canopy width respectively. Whereas cassava variety TMS 95/0289 was high in number of branches. Thus it is recommended that TME 419 be introduced to farmers as it produced highest pulp weight per stand. Also, fertilizer NPK 15-15-15 is a preferred NPK fertilizer as it has the capability in increasing the number of branches, canopy width, peels weight and pulp weight in comparison with NPK 20-10-10.