INFLUENCE OF CUTTING MANAGEMENT ON CELOSIA (Celosia argenta L.) CROP VALUE

Field experiment were carried out at the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) Ibadan during the early and late rainy seasons of 1997 to determine the best density and cutting height for combined seed and shoot (leaf + stem) yields of celosia in an attempt to increase income of resource poor farmers. Cultivar TLV 8 was planted at varied densities: 20, 000; 40, 000; 80, 000; 1, 000, 000 plants/ha in factorial combination with cutting height: 0 (control); 5; 10; 15; 20cm above ground levels. An uncut plot served as check for seed yield.
Cutting at 15cm x 40, 000 plants/ha performed best while cutting at 10cm x 40, 000 plants /ha performed least. Harvesting index was higher for cutting at 15cm x 444, 444 plants/ha and least at 10cm x 20, 000 plants/ha. Seed, shoot and seed + shoot yield values (Naira per ha) were highest for cutting at 15cm x 40, 000 plants/ha. Seed o shoot ratio was highest at 15cm x 444, 444 plants/ha and least at 5cm x 20, 000 plants/ha. It is concluded that combined shoots and seed production operations optimize resource use efficiency better and is more economically viable than growing celosia either for shoot or seed. Seed production gives more economic returns than shoot production.