Defoliation Effects on Growth, Development and Yield of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) Under an Irrigation Regime

An experiment was conducted at Research and Demonstration Farm of Agricultural Science Department, Federal College of Education, Pankshin located in the Northern Guinea Savanna Agro-ecological Zone of Nigeria to investigate defoliation effects on morphological characters and yield attributes of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) carried out during 2015 and 2016 dry season. The experiment comprised five levels of defoliation viz: 0% (control), 30%, 60%, 90%, and 100%. The experiment was laid out in identical Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with six replications. Results revealed that defoliation had significant effect on the studied crop characters and yield. Most of the parameters like plant height, stem girth; number of leaves, leaf area, and yield parameters decreases which are a function of increasing defoliation levels intensity. Defoliation at 0% and 30% were tolerable for okra plant growth and development, while at 90% and 100% was detrimental to plant growth and yield. Hence, defoliation at 30% is recommended to meet farmers’ pod and leaf requirement.