EVALUATION OF YIELD POTENTIALS OF THREE RICE VARIETIES UNDER DIFFERENT WATER MANAGEMENTS AT SOKOTO-RIMA FLOOD PLAIN, SOKOTO, NIGERIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT An experiment was conducted on Prof. S.S. Noma’s crop field in Kwalkwalawa village, close to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching and Research Farm, Sokoto during the 2018 dry season to evaluate the yield potentials of three rice varieties at different water managements at the Sokoto-Rima flood plain. The treatments consisted of three improved rice varieties (FARO 44, 60 and 61) and three water irrigation schedules (alternated at one (W1), two (W2) and three (W3) days intervals), factorially combined in a randomized complete block design, and replicated three times. A composite sample was prepared for laboratory determination of some soil physical and chemical properties using standard procedures. The results revealed that the soil was mainly clay loam having a bulk density range of 1.39 gcm-3-1.42 gcm-3, while the soil pH was neutral. From the treatment combinations, data for plant height before harvest, panicle length, grain yield/ha, 1000-grain weight and total dry matter were collected and analyzed using SAS statistical software and it was found that there were significant (P<0.001) influences in plant height and panicle length on the varieties, where (W1 FARO 60) recorded the highest plant height and panicle length at 114.73 cm and 33.13 cm respectively. Total dry matter also showed significant (P<0.001) influence on the treatments. The treatment with (W1 FARO 60) recorded the highest while (W3 FARO 61) was the least. There was significant (P<0.001) difference in rice grain yield/ha and 1000-grain weight among the treatments. FARO 44 with one-day alternate water irrigation (W1 FARO 44) recorded the highest yield at 5553.6 kg/ha. Therefore, it can be concluded from the study that, FARO 44 rice variety is the most suitable variety for cultivation during the dry season in Sokoto-Rima flood plain and alternate one day irrigation gives the highest yield among the three varieties.