Influence of organic mulch sources and time of their application on the yield of plantain (Musa spp.) in Owerri, southeast Nigeria

Abstract

The effect of five organic mulches (oil palm bunch refuse, oil palm fibre, woodchips, sawdust and multispecies thrash) applied at three different times {at planting, 3 and 6 months after planting (MAP)} at Owerri in the tropical rainforest agro-ecology of southeastern Nigeria were investigated. The experiment was a 3 x 5 factorial experiment laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Mulching of plantain using oil palm bunch refuse produced highest plantain bunch yield (17.68 t ha-1) while mulching with multispecies thrash gave lowest plantain bunch yield (12.02 t ha-1). Mulching of plantain at 3 MAP produced bigger plantain bunch yield (15.79 t ha-1) than mulching of plantain at planting (14.44 t ha-1) and at 6 MAPS (13.21 t ha-1). Mulching of plantain at 3 MAPS with oil palm bunch refuse stimulated early sucker proliferation, conserved soil moisture content, sustained plantain bunch yield and increased number of fingers per bunch in crop plantain and first ratoon bunch yield. These findings are important for the development of effective mulching strategy for rain fed zones in southeast Nigeria.