DESIRABILITY ANALYSIS OF AMARANTHUS HYPOCHONDRIACUS AT SELECTED WATER STRESS

Abstract

This research work was aimed at determining the best desirable water stress for optimum irrigation water needed for the growth of Amaranth hypochondriacus. The yield obtained from four classes of water stress irrigation water methodology for the amaranth plant were analyzed using design expert software based on the category classification of the individual treatments blocks. The four water stresses base on field capacity (FC) irrigation methodology adopted were 60% FC, 70% FC, 80% FC and 90% FC. Individual composite treatments desirabilities were compared to determine the comparative better treatment. Irrigation at 90% FC gave the highest desirability of 0.832, followed by 80% FC with 0.544 desirability, 70% with 0.287 desirability, and least in 60% FC with desirability of 0.111 of the maximum attainable desirability of 1. The desirability is a confirmation of the mean yield of the selected water treatments which had the highest at 90% FC (29.3 ton/ha) followed by 80% FC (23.3 ton/ha), 70% FC (17.8 ton/ha) and least at 60% FC (14.2 ton/ha). Analysis carried out on the yield obtained from the water treatment confirmed that the best desirability is obtainable at the maximum possible FC capacity irrigation.