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Ohaejesi, T. O.
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Technology Owerri. PMB 1526 Owerri Imo State, Nigeria
Okereke, C. D.
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Technology Owerri. PMB 1526 Owerri Imo State, Nigeria
Okereke, N. A.
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Technology Owerri. PMB 1526 Owerri Imo State, Nigeria
Egwuonwu, C. C.
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Technology Owerri. PMB 1526 Owerri Imo State, Nigeria
Chikwue, M. I.
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Technology Owerri. PMB 1526 Owerri Imo State, Nigeria
Asonye, G. U.
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Technology Owerri. PMB 1526 Owerri Imo State, Nigeria
Ihedioha, T. A.
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Technology Owerri. PMB 1526 Owerri Imo State, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the
crop water requirement, evapotranspiration, and yield response of Gongronema
latifolium (Utazi), an underutilized indigenous vegetable,
under a porous pot sub-surface irrigation system. A field experiment was
conducted within a Naturally Ventilated Polyhouse (NVPH) using sixteen unglazed
porous clay pots buried neck-deep at 1 m spacing. Soft vine cuttings of Gongronema
latifolium, about 9 cm long with at least one node, were initially
raised in a nursery and later transplanted at radial spacings of 3, 5, 7, and 9 cm around the pots.
Weakened or dead transplants were replaced to ensure uniformity. The crops were
irrigated daily, and the water retention within the clay pots was recorded
using a calibrated deep stick at 24-hour intervals. Concurrently, eight
weighable lysimeters were mounted and monitored to validate evapotranspiration
data.Climatic data for the study period (June–August 2024) were obtained
from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Owerri Airport Station, and
used to estimate crop evapotranspiration via the Blaney-Morin-Nigeria (BMN)
model. Crop parameters including height, leaf area, stem girth, and number of
leaves were recorded at the three developmental stages. Results showed that Gongronema
latifolium had a crop coefficient (kc) of 0.95, a crop
water requirement of 190 mm, and a daily consumptive
use of 0.7 cm/day. Water use efficiency
was 87.7%, with an optimal irrigation interval of six days. No significant
differences were found among spacing treatments (p 0.05). The findings
demonstrate the potentials and effectiveness of the buried clay pot irrigation
in conserving water while enhancing the growth and yield of Gongronema
latifolium. The growth characteristics such as the leaf
area, stem girth, number of leaves and height of crop measured depicts the
improved upward crop yield of the underutilized vegetable crop at the different
growth stages. This study findings can be used to inform irrigation management
practices for indigenous vegetable crops in similar environments.
Keywords: Gongronema latifolium, crop water requirement, growth characteristics, porous clay pot, consumptive use, subsurface irrigation, NVPH
https://doi.org/10.33922/j.ujet_v11i2_5
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Published
Monday, July 14, 2025
Issue
Vol. 11 No. 2, December 2025
Article Section
GENERAL
The contents of the articles are the sole opinion of the author(s) and not of UJET.
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