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The treatments were as follows:
T1. Control
T2. Seed priming
T3. Seed priming + fertilizer microdosing at 0.5 g per pocket of NPK fertilizer
15-15-15 (12.5 kg/ha), a cereal blend. The fertilizer was placed adjacent to the
seed planting pocket at sowing.
T4. Seed priming + fertilizer microdosing at 2 g per pocket of NPK fertilizer 15-1515 (50 kg/ha) at 15 days after sowing (DAS)
The seeds in the seed priming treatments were soaked in water for 8 hours and
thereafter dried in the open air for 2 hours prior to sowing. Seeds in all treatments
were treated with the fungicide Caiman Rouge (endosulfan and thiram) in order to
reduce attack of fungus and pests. In treatments T2, T3, and T4, the seeds were
treated after priming and surface drying.
The treatments tested in 2006 were T1, T2, and T4, whereas in 2007 and 2008 all
four treatments were tested. One farmer was considered as a replication. The size of
each plot was 1000 m
2
. Yield was measured by harvesting three randomly selected
quadrats, each with an area of 10 m
2
.
For pearl millet, the local variety Toroniou, which arrives at maturity in 90 days,
was used, whereas for sorghum, the variety Djacoumbé was used. This variety takes
about 100 days from sowing to maturity. The plots were sowed after a rain shower
of about 15 and 20 mm for sandy soil and silty soil, respectively. Weeding was
undertaken according to the needs in the plots, and the stand was thinned to two
plants per sowing hill. The spacing of the pockets was 80 cm between rows and
50 cm within the row, giving 25,000 pockets/ha.
2.1 Effect of Drying Time on Primed Seed Germination
The farmers are not always able to sow all the seeds immediately following seed
priming. In order to test for the effect of drying time, the seeds were dried for
2 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours. The experimental design was block
Fisher with four treatments in 2010 and three treatments in 2011. The size of each
plot was 25 m
2
. Planting distances were the same as detailed above.
Measurements and Data Analysis (Common to the Two Experimental
Series)
Observations were taken on number of established plants, number of harvested
heads, and grain and stover yield. A statistical analysis was undertaken using the
SAS statistical program, and the Duncan test was used to rank differences between
the treatments.
Intensification of Sorghum and Pearl Millet Production in the Sahel-Sudanian Climatic…
The treatments were as follows:
T1. Control
T2. Seed priming
T3. Seed priming + fertilizer microdosing at 0.5 g per pocket of NPK fertilizer
15-15-15 (12.5 kg/ha), a cereal blend. The fertilizer was placed adjacent to the
seed planting pocket at sowing.
T4. Seed priming + fertilizer microdosing at 2 g per pocket of NPK fertilizer 15-1515 (50 kg/ha) at 15 days after sowing (DAS)
The seeds in the seed priming treatments were soaked in water for 8 hours and
thereafter dried in the open air for 2 hours prior to sowing. Seeds in all treatments
were treated with the fungicide Caiman Rouge (endosulfan and thiram) in order to
reduce attack of fungus and pests. In treatments T2, T3, and T4, the seeds were
treated after priming and surface drying.
The treatments tested in 2006 were T1, T2, and T4, whereas in 2007 and 2008 all
four treatments were tested. One farmer was considered as a replication. The size of
each plot was 1000 m
2
. Yield was measured by harvesting three randomly selected
quadrats, each with an area of 10 m
2
.
For pearl millet, the local variety Toroniou, which arrives at maturity in 90 days,
was used, whereas for sorghum, the variety Djacoumbé was used. This variety takes
about 100 days from sowing to maturity. The plots were sowed after a rain shower
of about 15 and 20 mm for sandy soil and silty soil, respectively. Weeding was
undertaken according to the needs in the plots, and the stand was thinned to two
plants per sowing hill. The spacing of the pockets was 80 cm between rows and
50 cm within the row, giving 25,000 pockets/ha.
2.1 Effect of Drying Time on Primed Seed Germination
The farmers are not always able to sow all the seeds immediately following seed
priming. In order to test for the effect of drying time, the seeds were dried for
2 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours. The experimental design was block
Fisher with four treatments in 2010 and three treatments in 2011. The size of each
plot was 25 m
2
. Planting distances were the same as detailed above.
Measurements and Data Analysis (Common to the Two Experimental
Series)
Observations were taken on number of established plants, number of harvested
heads, and grain and stover yield. A statistical analysis was undertaken using the
SAS statistical program, and the Duncan test was used to rank differences between
the treatments.
Intensification of Sorghum and Pearl Millet Production in the Sahel-Sudanian Climatic…