The effects of clearing by poisoning, as against felling and burning, on plantain and cocoyam yields on acid Ghana forest soils
1970
Ahn, P.M., Faculty af Agriculture, University af Ghana, Legan, Ghana
Plantain (Musa sapientum) and cocoyam ~Xanthosoma sagittifolia) were interplanted on red and brown gravelly soils developed over phyllite at the University of Ghana agricultural research statiml at Kade, in the forest zone. In two plots the original high forest vegetation was cleared in the traditional manner, by brushing and felling followedby burning. Aparallel pair of plots were brushed and then the trees were poisoned with 2, 4-D and the crops interplanted between the dead and dying trees. Plantain on the poisoned plots began yielding later than on the burnt plots, giving an average yield of about 3100 Ibjacre as compared with about 8100 Ibjacre on the burnt plots over a 28-month harvesting period, though average bunch weight was not reduced. Cocoyam yields were proportionately even lower on the poisoned plots, averaging about 300 Ibjacre as compared with about 950 Ibjacre. Lower yields were associated with a smaller number of suckersand corms coming into bearing on the poisoned plots, and may be due to the greater shade andjor absence of the ash produced by burning on these plots.
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