Improving the Production of Planting Materials of Ube (Dioscorea Alata) Cultivars through Minisetts Technology

Abstract

This study aimed to improve the production of high-quality planting materials for ube (Dioscorea alata) through minisett technology. Specifically, it sought to determine the best minisett size for seedling production, evaluate the growth and survival performance of different ube cultivars under varied minisett technologies, determine the interaction between cultivar and minisett size, and assess the Return on Cash Expense (ROCE). The study is significant to farmers, nurseries, agribusinesses, and researchers because it provides an efficient and sustainable propagation technique that can increase the availability of quality planting materials, improve productivity, and enhance profitability in ube production.

A two-factor factorial experiment arranged in a strip-plot design was conducted using five minisett treatments: 25 g, 50 g, 75 g, 100 g, and farmers’ practice (150 g), and three ube cultivars namely Ulang, Sampero, and Pigingan. The experiment was carried out under controlled conditions using a 1:1 mixture of river sand and carbonized rice hull as planting medium. Data gathered included days of emergence, plant height, stem diameter, survival rate, internode length, root characteristics, vigor index, and ROCE. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).

Results revealed that minisett technology significantly affected emergence, plant height, root development, root–shoot ratio, and vigor index. Treatments M₀ (150 g) and M₄ (100 g) consistently produced superior growth and vigor, while M₁ (25 g) showed the weakest performance. Among cultivars, Ulang and Pigingan demonstrated better survival, vigor, and profitability compared to Sampero. Economically, Ulang and Pigingan obtained the highest ROCE of 233.01%. The study concluded that appropriate minisett technology and cultivar selection are essential in improving the growth, survival, and profitability of ube seedling production in Apayao.

Keywords: Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Summary, Conclusions, Acknowledgement; References, Tables, Figure legends and Figures.