3rd Africa Rice Congress Theme 2: Intensification and diversification Mini symposium: Enhancing productivity through improved soil and fertilizer nutrient use Author: Dzomeku, et.al.

1. INFLUENCE OF SEED QUALITY AND SOIL FERTILITY
MANAGEMENT ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF RICE (ORYZA SATIVA
L.) IN THE GUINEA SAVANNA OF GHANA
W. Dogbe,1 I.K. Dzomeku,2 B. Salifu Yahaya,2 Aliyu Siise,1
Elijah Ofosu Krofa1 and S.A. Awuakye2
1CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, Tamale, Ghana;
2University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
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Paper presented at the 3rd Africa Rice Congress
Yaoundé, Cameroon, 21–24 October 2013.

2. INTRODUCTION

Seed quality is the degree of excellence of a seed when compared to an
acceptable standard seed and satisfies genetic purity, good health and
physiological purity for viability and vigour.

Poor quality seed gives poor seedling vigor, non uniform growth and maturity
and prone to pest and diseases (Ellis et al., 1995). Good quality seeds have high
return per unit area as the genetic potential of the crop can be fully exploited.

Planting good quality seed is often taken for granted, as farmers resort to
using their seedlot with resultant yield loss.

Rice is a heavy feeder and extremely sensitive to the amount and balance of
nutrients in the soil,

A suitable combination of organic and inorganic source of nutrients was
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reported to give sustainable production (Reganold et al., 1990; WARDA, 2002).

3. OBJECTIVES
The
present study was to determine how seed
quality and/or optimum organic/inorganic soil
amendments influence yield components and grain
yield of Gbewaa rice in the Guinea savannah
ecology.
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4. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1 Site Description
 The trial was conducted at the experimental field of the Savannah
Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Nyankpala, near Tamale, in
the Northern Guinea Savanna ecological zone during 2011 and
2012 cropping seasons. Nyankpala lies on altitude ±183m, latitude
09º 25’ 41’’N and longitude 0º 58’ 42’’W.
 Rainfall pattern is unimodal with mean annual rainfall of 10001200mm fairly distributed from April-November.
 The area has high temperature in the day time and cool
temperature at night with mean monthly minimum of 23.4ºC and
maximum of 34.5ºC and a minimum RH of 46% and maximum of
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76.8%.

5. TABLE 1 EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENTS
FACTORS
1. Seed quality
Farmers seed
(FS)
Certified seed5
(CS)
2. Soil amendments
Control
HRR (125kg/ha NPK + 60kgN/ha)
CODE OF
TREATMENTS
T1
T2
HRR+1.5 t/ha Compost
RR (250kg/ha NPK + 120kgN/ha)
RR+3 t/ha Compost
T3
T4
T5
Control
HRR (125kg/ha NPK + 60kgN/ha)
HRR+1.5 t/ha Compost
T6
RR (250kg/ha NPK + 120kgN/ha)
RR+ 3 t/ha Compost
T7
T8
T9
T10

6. RESULTS
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7. TABLE 2. SEED QUALITY AND SOIL AMENDMENT ON RICE PARAMETERS
FACTORS
Seed
quality
Control
Panicle
length
cm
18.5
53.8
21.7
HRR (125kg/ha NPK + 60kgN/ha)
19.8
77.0
23.3
HRR+1.5 t/ha Compost
21.0
84.3
23.7
RR (250kg/ha NPK + 120kgN/ha)
23.0
109.5
24.6
RR+3 t/ha Compost
23.0
118.0
24.9
Control
Farmers
seed
Soil amendment
2011
17.0
64.5
21.0
21.0
70.8
23.6
22.0
84.8
24.2
RR (250kg/ha NPK + 120kgN/ha)
24.0*
115.3
25.3 *
RR+ 3 t/ha Compost
25.0*
127.5 *
25.9 *
Certified HRR (125kg/ha NPK + 60kgN/ha)
seed* 7 HRR+1.5 t/ha Compost
No. of seeds 1000 seed
per panicle wt(g)

8. TABLE 3 EFFECT OF SEED QUALITY ON SOME PARAMATERS
Seed
quality
Days to
50%
flowering
Plant
height
(cm)
Tiller
count
Panicle
number
Panicle
weight (g)
2011
Farmers
seed
93
58.7
13.95
12
24.56
Certified*
seed
LSD
97
63.1
15.85
14
26.68
2.0
3.88
0.891
0.75
1.190
2012
Farmers
seed
Certified*
seed
98
76.8
17.85
15.6
24.31
110
87.8
19.85
17.8
26.238

9. Grain yield (kg/ha)
FIG. 1. EFFECT OF SEED QUALITY ON GRAIN YIELD IN
2011 AND 2012.
2350
2300
2250
2200
2150
2100
2050
2000
1950
Farmers
Certified
Farmers
Certified
seed 2011 seed 20111 seed 2012 seed 2012
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Seed quality

10. Grain yield (kg/ha)
FIG. 2. EFFECT OF SOIL AMENDMENT ON GRAIN
YIELD IN 2011.
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Control
HRR
HRR + 1.5
RR
ton/ ha
compost
Soil amendment
RR + 3 ton/
ha compost
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11. Grain yield (kg/ha)
FIG. 3. EFFECT OF SOIL AMENDMENT ON GRAIN YIELD
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Control
HRR
HRR + RR RR + 3
1.5 ton/
ton/ ha
ha
compost
compost
Soil amendment
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12. Grain yield (kg/ha)
FIG. 4. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NUMBER OF
SEEDS AND GRAIN YIELD.
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
y = 240.9x - 427.8
R² = 0.696
Fig. 6. The relationship between number of seeds and Grain yield.
4
9
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Number of panicles
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13. Grain yield (kg/ha)
FIG. 5. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN 1000 SEED WEIGHT
AND GRAIN YIELD.
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
y = 449.6x - 8489
R² = 0.796
20
22
24
1000 seed weight (g)
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28
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14. CONCLUSION 1
 This
experiment was set up to determine the influence
of seed quality and soil fertility management on the
yield components and grain yield of Jasmine 85 rice in
the Guinea savannah zone.
 Seed quality and soil fertility management determined
three yield components, i.e. Panicle length, Panicle
weight and 1000 seed weight
 Certified seed was superior to farmer saved seed and
overwhelmingly promoted most of the parameters
investigated.
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15. CONCLUSION 2
Recommended
rate of inorganic fertilizer at 250 kg NPK/ha
plus 120 kg urea/ha as basal and top-dressing applications
respectively, was sometimes adequate to support the
performance of production.
However,
the effect of the recommended fertilizer rate
supplemented with 3tons/ha of compost was overwhelming.
The
results of this study re-emphasised the need to build the
capacity of farmers in using Certified seed and the
integration of crop-livestock into the farming systems in
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the Guinea savannah zone.

16. THANK YOU
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