INFLUENCE OF “ACCESSION” TYPE AND CONSEQUENT “TOPPING” ON PRODUCTIVITY AND PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF OKRA (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) FRUIT IN A GHANAIAN OXISOL

Abstract

Studies on the influence of “accession” type and consequent “topping” on productivity and proximate composition of okra was conducted at the orchard and Spanish Laboratory Complex, University for Development Studies (UDS), Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Sciences, Department of Horticulture, Tamale, Ghana. There is a significant knowledge gap regarding the impact of “topping” on the proximate composition of okra fruits. Lack of standardized “topping” practice among farmers, coupled with limited data on proximate composition hinders the optimization of okra productivity, hence the study. The study was a two-factor experiment in a Randomized Complete Block Design with five replications. The two factors considered were “accession” type {“Choochoo (C)”; “Jengbunjira” (J); “Maanpielli” (M); “Sheinmana” (S); and “Wuunmana” (W)} and “topping” stages {control, no “topping” (T0); “topping” at apical flower bud emergence (Ta); “topping” at one week after apical flower bud emergence (T1); and “topping” at two weeks after apical flower bud emergence (T2)}. These two factors were combined to make twenty treatment combinations {“Choochoo” not “topped” (CT0), “Choochoo” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (CTa), “Choochoo” “topped” at one week after apical flower bud emergence (CT1), “Choochoo” “topped” at two weeks after apical flower bud emergence (CT2), “Jangbunjira” not “topped” (JT0), “Jangbunjira” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (JTa), “Jangbunjira” “topped” at one week after apical flower bud emergence (JT1), “Jangbunjira” “topped” at two weeks after apical flower bud emergence (JT2), “Maanpielli” not “topped” (MT0), “Maanpielli” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (MTa), “Maanpielli” “topped” at one week after apical flower bud emergence (MT1), “Maanpielli” “topped” at two weeks after apical flower bud emergence (MT2), “Sheinmana” not “topped” (ST0), “Sheinmana” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (STa), “Sheinmana” “topped” at one week after apical flower bud emergence (ST1), “Sheinmana” “topped” at two weeks after apical flower bud emergence (ST2), “Wuunmana” not “topped” (WT0), “Wuunmana” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (WTa), “Wuunmana” “topped” at one week after apical flower bud emergence (WT1), “Wuunmana” “topped” at two weeks after apical flower bud emergence (WT2)}. Five healthy plants per treatment were randomly selected and tagged for the study. Choochoo” plants with “topping” at apical flower bud emergence (CTa) recorded a significantly higher number of flower buds and number of flowers. “Choochoo” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (CTa) plants recorded the highest fresh fruit weight (414.7 g) produced per plant. Fresh fruit girth recorded significant interaction effects, where JTa plants recorded significantly higher fruit girth (36.47 mm). “Sheinmana” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (STa) plants recorded the highest fruit length (9.12 cm) per plant. There were no interaction effects among the treatment combinations for the percentage moisture content of okra but “Choochoo” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (CTa) plants recorded the highest (71.88 %) percentage moisture content, the highest percentage crude fat content (0.88 %), and the highest (70.6 %) percentage carbohydrate content. “Jangbunjira” not “topped” (JT0) plants recorded significantly higher percentage dry matter content (26.42 %). The highest (25.93 %) percentage crude protein was recorded by “Maanpielli” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (MTa), and the highest (9.364 %) percentage crude ash content by “Wuunmana” “topped” at two weeks after apical flower bud emergence (WT2). “Choochoo” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (CTa) was highly recommended for optimizing productivity with particular reference to the number of fruits and fruit weight critical to the fresh market. For processing goals, “Jangbunjira” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (JTa) was recommended for optimum fruit girth, and “Sheinmana” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (STa) for optimizing fruit length. For the determination of proximate composition,“Choochoo” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (CTa) was prioritised for bulk consumption and enhanced digestion due to its high moisture, fat, and carbohydrate levels. “Jangbunjira” not topped, “Maanpielli” “topped” at apical flower bud emergence (MTa), “Choochoo” “topped” at two weeks after apical flower bud emergence (CT2), and “Wuunmana” “topped” at two weeks after apical flower bud emergence (WT2) enhanced: optimum dry matter content, protein content, and ash content respectively. The study found “topping” at apical flower bud emergence (Ta) a worthy technical agronomic practice for improved productivity and proximate composition in each case of the five “accessions” evaluated.