This study was primarily
undertaken to evaluate the fresh fruit bunch (FFB) yield performance among
selected oil palm genotypes on Njala upland soil. An Independent Complete Randomised Design
(ICRD) was used to carry out this field research. This study was conducted at
the Njala University oil palm clonal seed garden, and the experiment was
undertaken from 2021 to 2024. To determine the FFB yield, field research was
carried out using four oil palm genotypes in an independent complete randomised
design in four replications on 160 experimental sample palms. Three years of
data were collected on yield and fruit bunch components, and vegetative traits.
In the current study, 23 quantitative variables were used to evaluate the
performance of four genotypes of oil palm. Through the analysis of variance,
the morphological features of the different variants showed a wide range of
variation. The traits were found to be influenced by the environment. Genotype
Y26666B had the highest FFB yield at 188.31 (kg/palm/year), followed by
genotype Y26515A at 171.58 (kg/palm/year). It was further examined that the FFB
yield gap exists among the genotypes and all of them [Y26515A, Y26456A, Y26666B
and Y26520C (13.16, 17.86, 11.90 and 17.86 t/genotype/year)], respectively,
proved to have a high FFB yield gap. This showed that among the elite genotypes
(Y26666B and Y26515A), there is a significant opportunity to increase their FFB
yield. Correlation (r) validated that fruit bunch number had a more positive
impact on FFB yield than average bunch weight. Heritability result revealed
that the average bunch weight had the highest heritability percentage value of
82.50%. The findings suggested an alternative method for future studies; hence,
genotype Y26666B could be selected as a parent for future breeding programs.
However, the results could have been more informative if additional genotypes
were selected and the conventional method was concurrently done with molecular
studies.
Author(s)details:-
SENESIE SWARAY
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Development Agriculture and Natural
Resources Management, Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone (ETU-SL),
Kenema, Sierra Leone.
ANSUMANA JOSEPH MUSA
Department of Agribusiness and Economics, Faculty of Engineering and
Innovation, Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone (ETU-SL), Kenema City,
Sierra Leone.
SHEKU ALHAJI KOROMA
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, Faculty of
Development Agriculture and Natural Resources Management, Eastern Technical
University of Sierra Leone (ETU-SL), Kenema City, Sierra Leone.
MOHAMED SESAY
Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
and Innovation, Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone (ETU-SL), Kenema,
Sierra Leone.
MOHAMED MUSA
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Development Agriculture and Natural
Resources Management, Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone (ETU-SL),
Kenema, Sierra Leone and National Fertilizer Regulatory Agency (NaFRA), 55
Wilkington Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
JOSEPH MUSA SAMAI
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Development Agriculture and
Natural Resources Management, Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone
(ETU-SL), Kenema, Sierra Leone.
ALFRED FATORMA
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Development Agriculture
and Natural Resources Management, Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone
(ETU-SL), Kenema, Sierra Leone.
MOMODU JALLOH
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Development Agriculture and Natural
Resources Management, Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone (ETU-SL),
Kenema, Sierra Leone and Tree Crops Unit, Sierra Leone Agricultural Research
Institute (SLARI), P.M.B 1313 Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Please see the book
here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/asti/v6/6627
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