Effect of agronomic management on growth and yield of selected leafy vegetables

African leafy vegetables have been shown and suggested to have potential to contribute to human diets and alleviate malnutrition; however, their levels of utilisation are currently low especially in South Africa. This is because there is limited access to these crops due to low availability in the market. Limited access is attributed, in part, to the lack of commercialisation as a result of limited agronomic information describing optimum management options for these leafy vegetables. Availability of such information would contribute to successful commercialisation of these crops. The primary objective of this study was to establish optimum agronomic management factors for Amaranthus cruentus, Corchorus olitorius, Vigna unguiculata and Brassica juncea for irrigated commercial production in South Africa. Seeds of Amaranthus cruentus, Corchorus olitorius were obtained from the Agricultural Research Council seed bank; Vigna unguiculata were obtained from Hydrotech and Brassica juncea seeds were obtained from Stark Ayres. The project consisted of three field studies whose overall objective was to evaluate growth and yield responses of the selected African leafy vegetables to agronomic factors under irrigated commercial production. These field studies comprised of two single factors; summer trials (planting density and nitrogen on three selected crops) and a combined winter trial (nitrogen, irrigation, plant density and planting date on a winter crop). Chapter three (3) investigated the effect of plant density on growth, physiology and yield responses of Amaranthus cruentus, Corchorus olitorius and Vigna unguiculata to three plant densities under drip irrigated commercial production. The plant density levels of 100 000, 66 666 and 50 000 plants/ha were used in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 summer seasons. Parameters measured included chlorophyll content index (CCI), chlorophyll fluorescence (CF), stomatal conductance (SC), leaf number, leaf area index (LAI) and biomass. Amaranthus cruentus and Corchorus olitorius showed better leaf quality at lower plant density of 50 000 plants ha-1 than at 66 666 plants ha-1 and 100 000 plants ha-1. These results are based on bigger leaves expressed as leaf area index (LAI), better colour expressed as chlorophyll (CCI) and higher biomass per plant observed in these crops at 50 000 plants ha-1 in comparison to 66 666 plants ha-1 and 100 000 plants ha-1. In Vigna unguiculata there were no responses observed in LAI and CCI. In Amaranthus cruentus, Corchorus olitorius and Vigna unguiculata fresh and dry mass yield of leaves were higher at 100 000 plants ha-1 compared to other treatments. In A. cruentus and C. olitorius, higher leaf quality parameters (CCI, plant height, leaf number, biomass per plant and LAI) indicated that these crops can perform better at lower densities of 50 000 than at 66 666 plants ha-1 and 100 000 plants ha-1 Therefore, using 50 000 plants ha- 1 is suitable for commercial production of A. cruentus and C. olitorius. In Vigna unguiculata, a plant density of 100 000 plants ha-1 produced the highest fresh and dry mass per unit area without compromising quality in terms of the leaf size (LAI) and colour (CCI). Therefore 100 000 plants ha-1 is a density recommended for commercial production in V. unguiculata.Chapter four (4) was conducted to investigate growth, physiology and yield responses of A. cruentus, C. olitorius and V unguiculata to nitrogen application under drip irrigated commercial production. Three nitrogen treatments levels were used viz. 0, 44 and 88 kg N ha- 1 in 2011/12 season and four nitrogen treatments levels viz. 0, 50, 100 and 125 kg N ha-1 were used in 2012/13 summer season. The nitrogen levels selected for each season were based on recommendations for Amaranthaceae species, Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L.var cicla) derived from soil analysis of the trial (field) site. Parameters measured included chlorophyll content index (CCI), chlorophyll fluorescence (CF), stomatal conductance (SC), leaf number, leaf area index (LAI) and biomass. Results showed that application of nitrogen at 44 kg N ha- 1 in 2011/12 summer season and 100 kg N ha-1 in 2012/13 summer season improved LAI, CCI, biomass per plants and yield in A. cruentus. A similar trend was observed in C. olitorius except that 44 kg N ha-1 improved stem fresh yield. Further increase in nitrogen fertiliser above 44 kg N ha-1 during the 2011/12 season and above 100 kg N ha-1 in 2012/13 summer season reduced leaf quality and yield in both crops. In V. unguiculata, nitrogen application showed a slight increase in yield values from 0 to 44 kg N ha-1 followed by decrease at 88 kg N ha-1 in 2011/12 summer season; however, this increase in yield was not significant. During the 2012/13 summer season, yield in terms of fresh weight was significantly (P<.001) reduced by applying nitrogen at various levels. However, leaf dry matter content increased significantly (P<.001) with increase in nitrogen from 0 kg up to 100 kg N ha-1, then remained unchanged at 125 kg N ha-1. Therefore, the current study recommends that C. olitorius and A. cruentus could be commercialised at 44 kg N ha-1 and 100 kg N ha-1 which were lower nitrogen application rates than those recommended for Amaranthaceae species. In V. unguiculata, 50 kg N ha-1 improved leaf number; however, this did not translate to any fresh yield advantage, implying that the optimum rate for nitrogen application might be lower than 50 kg N ha-1. Therefore, nitrogen rates less than the ones used in the current study are recommended for V. unguiculata. Chapter five (5) was conducted in winter and it was necessitated by observations made primarily in the previous studies which focused on the effects of single factors such as plant density, planting date and nitrogen deficits. Therefore, there was a need to address interactions between irrigation, nitrogen, spacing and planting date. The objective of this study was to evaluate growth, physiology and yield responses of Brassica juncea to different agronomic and management factors in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The treatments were as follows: two planting dates in main plot (1 June and 18 July, 2012); two irrigation frequency in sub main plot (once and three times a week); three nitrogen levels (0, 50, 100 kg N ha-1) and three plant densities (133 333, 80 000, 50 000 plants ha-1) as subplots. Parameters measured included chlorophyll content index (CCI), chlorophyll fluorescence (CF), stomatal conductance (SC), leaf number, leaf area index (LAI) and biomass. Results from this study showed a significant interaction effect on plant height, LAI, CCI and CF. Crops irrigated thrice or once a week with 50 kg N ha-1 combined with 50 000 plants ha-1 produced tall plants and bigger leaves (LAI) in the early planting date (1 June) compared to other combinations. Irrigating three times a week combined with nitrogen application at 100 or 50 kg N ha-1 improved CF for late planting date (18 July) in comparison to other combinations. Irrigating once a week combined with nitrogen application at 100 kg N ha-1 increased CCI. There was no significant interaction effect on yield. Application of nitrogen at 50 and 100 kg N ha-1 significantly (P>0.05) increased yield in early and late planting dates compared to the control (0 kg N ha-1), in 2012 and 2013 winter season. Irrigating three times a week led to a significant (P<0.05) increase in yield in the late planting date (18th July) and early planting date (1st June) in 2013 season. Higher plant density of 133 333 plants ha-1 resulted in significantly (P