Growth and yield performance of Corchorus olitorius under different population densities in a substrate-based hydroponics system

Abstract

Corchorus olitorius L. is a tropical vegetable grown for its culinary and medicinal attributes. However, its cultivation is at the subsistence level with little or no regard to optimal production population density. The performances of different population densities of Corchorus olitorius per 100 cm² in the hydroponics system were investigated. Seeds of Corchorus olitorius were planted in troughs at population densities: 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 seeds per 100 cm² substrate-based hydroponics system. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design, replicated thrice in two cycles. Data were collected and analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA. Plants produced at a density of 10/100 cm² had the highest number of leaves (26 ± 0.9) and (42.6 ± 1.3), the highest proportion of tall plants above 30 cm (60.2 ± 2.1), (63.2±1.8) in the 1^st and 2^nd cycles respectively, which were significantly higher than the other treatments. However, in cycle 1, the shoot weight of plants above 30 cm was highest in population density of 15/100 cm² (18.4 ± 1.2 g), while in the 2^nd cycle, the population density of 10/100 cm² had the highest shoot weight (28.0 ± 1.1 g). Hence the 10/100 cm² density is recommended as the optimal production population density for the cultivation of Corchorous olitorius.