Densidades de siembra en el rendimiento de yuca (Manihot esculenta Crantz) variedad Valenciana.

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of different planting densities on yield and agronomic performance of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Valenciana variety, a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was established with four treatments and five replications. The treatments consisted of: T1 (12,500 plants ha⁻¹; 1.0 m × 0.8 m), T2 (7,143 plant s ha⁻¹; 1.0 m × 1.4 m), T3 (8,333 plants ha⁻¹; 1.0 m × 1.2 m), and T4 as control (10,000 plants ha⁻¹; 1.0 m × 1.0 m). The experiment comprised 20 experimental units of 25 m² each. Treatment T1 achieved the highest yield wit h 48,272 kg ha⁻¹, followed by T2 with 38,428 kg ha⁻¹. Regarding agronomic performance, T4 exhibited superior morphological characteristics, including greater stem diameter (5.21 cm), leaf number (457.65), plant height (3.42 m), and average fruit number (8.95). The reduced plant spacing (higher density) enhanced total yield per unit area, with treatment T1 (48,271.88 kg ha⁻¹) being the most efficient for commercial production. Cost benefit analysis revealed that treatment T1 (1.0 m × 0.8 m) obtained the highest benefit -cost ratio of 1.44. However, plants with greater spacing (T4) developed superior morphological characteristics, suggesting a trade-off between planting density and individual plant development.