EFFECT OF PLANT SPACING, PHOSPHORUS LEVEL, AND TIME OF HARVEST ON FORAGE YIELD OF LABLAB (LABLAB PURPUREUS), CV. HIGHWORTH

Abstract

A field trial was conducted at Shika, Northern Nigeria to examine the effect of two plant spacings: 30 x 25cm (SI) and 60 x 25cm (S2), four phosphorus leves (75, 100, 125 and 150kgP.ha) and harvesting at 86, 100, 114 and 128 days after planting (DAP) on forage yield of La-blab purpureus cv. Highworth. Closer spacing significantly gave higher (P < 0.05) leaf, stem and total dry matter (DM) yields that wider spacing. Application of phosphorus fertilizer did not significantly (P > 0.p05) influence stem and total DM yield. Leaf DM yield was affected (P < 0.05) by the levels of fertilizer applied. Earlier harvest favoured leaf DM yield, while later harvests gave significantly (P < 0.05) higher stem and total DM yields. The contributions of stem towards the total DM yield increased with age of plant: 86 DAP (55%) < 100 DAP (71%) < 114 DAP (80%) < 128 DAP (89%). The data obtained suggest that a spacing of 30 x 25cm with the application of 100kg P/ha would suffice for satisfactory forage yield.