Influence of Intra-Row Spacing on the Performance of Okra

The field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of intra-row spacing and variety on the growth and yield of okra at the research farm of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Gubi Campus, Nigeria. The treatments consisted of three spacings (20, 30 and 40cm) and three varieties (Kirikou, Yar-kodom and Clemson spineless) which were factorially combined and laid down in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The result of the experiment revealed a significant difference (P=0.05) on growth and yield parameters. The use of wider intra-row spacing significantly affected most of the parameters measured. Among the varieties, assessed Clemson spineless consistently produced the higher results on all measured characters and invariable higher yield. The interaction between intra-row spacing and variety showed that the use of wider row spacing in combination with the varieties improved the plant height, stem girth and the number of pods significantly. Highly and positive correlations were also recorded among the growth and the yield characters.