ENHANCING THE PERFORMANCE OF BEETROOT (Beta vulgaris L.) AS AFFECTED BY POPULATION DENSITY AND DECOMPOSED MUNICIPAL WASTE IN JOS, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

A field trial was carried out to study how population density and decomposed municipal waste (MW) affect the growth and yield of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.). The experiment was laid out factorially in a Randomised Complete Block Deign (RCBD) consisting of three different population densities (50, 33, and 25 plants per square meter) and four application rates of MW (0, 5, 10, and 15 tons per hectare). The result showed highly significant effects from both factors (P < 0.001).  The findings showed that lowering the population density from 50 to 25 plants per square meter resulted in a significant increase in a number of growth metrics: leaf area increased from 979.71 to 1229.67 cm², leaf count increased from 9.75 to 12.83, leaf area index improved from 2.45 to 6.15, and leaf area duration increased from 26.59 to 78.37 days. Furthermore, economic production increased from 8.37 to 10.27 tons per hectare, root weight per plot increased from 5.02 to 6.17 kg, and root diameter increased from 4.72 to 5.62 cm. With a peak value of 15 tons per hectare (leaf count of 13.00 and economic yield of 10.15 t/ha), the application of MW continuously improved all these parameters. The superiority of MW was highest at the lowest density, according to significant interactions (P < 0.05). With the maximum economic production (11.50 tons per hectare), leaf area duration (83.53 days), and root diameter (6.67 cm), a combination of 25 plants per square meter and 15 tons per hectare of MW produced the best results. These results demonstrate that beet growth and yield can be maximized by combining low population density with moderate to high levels of decomposed municipal trash, offering a sustainable method of nutrient management for effective beet production.