The Effects of spacing and nitrogen levels on propagation of sweet potatoes
- Author
- Mabika, Webster.
- Title
- The Effects of spacing and nitrogen levels on propagation of sweet potatoes
- Abstract
- Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a vital food and income bringing crop in Zimbabwe and other developing countries due to its valued nutritional composition and daptability. Despite its importance, production is often constrained by a shortage of vines at the beginning of the planting season. This research focused on evaluating the effects of different plant spacing and nitrogen levels on sweet potato vine propagation, with the objective of identifying optimal combinations for maximizing vine production. A field experiment was conducted using a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments comprising three plant spacing close (25 cm), moderate (35 cm), and wide (45 cm) and three nitrogen levels low (40 kg/ha), medium (60 kg/ha), and high (80 kg/ha). The parameters assessed included average vine length, cumulative number of plantable vines, multiplication factor, and turnover days. The results revealed that moderate plant spacing (35 cm) combined with medium nitrogen application (60 kg/ha) produced the best overall performance (p<0.05). Moderate spacing (35 cm) with medium nitrogen (60 kg/ha) gave the best results: longest vines (102.4 cm), most plantable vines (55), highest multiplication factor (4.6), and shortest turnover period (38 days). Wide spacing with high nitrogen caused excessive growth and poor vine quality, while close spacing led to overcrowding and reduced efficiency. The study concludes that moderate plant spacing and medium nitrogen levels significantly improve sweet potato vine propagation efficiency. These findings provide a practical, low input strategy for farmers to enhance vine availability, improve planting cycles, and increase productivity. The outcomes also support more efficient use of land and fertilizers, contributing to sustainable and climate resilient sweet potato production systems in Zimbabwe.
- Date
- June 2025
- Publisher
- BUSE
- Keywords
- Sweet potato production
- Supervisor
- Mr K. Mutsengi
- Item sets
- Department of Crop Sciences
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