EFFECT OF TRELLISING AND PRUNING ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF SABA (Saba senegalensis) IN SOUTHEAST, NIGERIA

Saba senegalensis is gaining popularity owing to its nutritional, medicinal, health and economic benefits. Thus, a study was conducted on the effect of trellising and pruning on growth and yield of S. senegalensis at the Department of Crop Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The experiment was a factorial combination of two methods of trellising (trellis and no trellis) and two pruning methods (pruned and unpruned). Result indicated that trellised plants significantly (p < 0.05) produced the longest vines (229.0 cm) at 10 months after transplanting (MAT) compared with those without trellis. Unpruned plants significantly (p < 0.05) had the longest vines, more number of leaves and greater number of branches in some of the sampling months than the pruned plants. Plants supported with trellis had the tendency to reach days to harvest (775.5 days) earlier than plants grown without trellis. It also exhibited superiority in producing more number of fruits (28), heavier fruits (5.78 kg) and higher fruit yield (9.63 t ha–1). Regarding number of days to harvest, unpruned plants were 0.2% earlier than plants that were pruned. Contrarily, number of fruits plant–1, fruit weight (kg) and fruit yield (t ha–1) increased by 35.2%, 20.4% and 20.3%, respectively in pruned plants than unpruned ones. Interaction of trellising × pruning on some of the growth attributes differed, but showed no significant difference on yield traits. Trellising and pruning which enhanced the growth and yield could be recommended for improved productivity of S. senegalensis in the study area.