Cyperus esculentus Topsoil Cow Dung Potting Media Dry Matter Production Nut Yield Harvest Index Screenhouse Experiment Completely Randomized Design Soil Amendment Organic Fertilizer Sustainable Crop Production

The experiment was conducted between August to December, 2024 in the screenhouse of the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin to evaluate the effect of top soil and potting media on the dry matter production and the yield of tiger nut. The trial five mediums (Top Soil (TS), Cow Dung (CD), TS + CD 1:1, TS + CD 2:1, and TS + CD 1:2) were laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD). Data were collected on shoot dry weight, root dry weight, matter dry weight, leave of index, number of nuts, nut weight and yield at 10 and 12 weeks after planting. Dry matter properties like
nut dry weight (0.56 g), root dry weight (0.22 g), total dry weight (1.23 g), and harvest index (0.51 g) were highest in TS + CD 1:1, while TS performed poorly. Also, TS + CD 1:1 produced most number of nuts per plant (3.33), highest nut weight (1.29 g), and nut
yield (0.86 t/ha), while TS + CD 2:1 performed poorly for yield components. Total dry weight was significantly correlated with stem girth, number of leaves, nut dry weight, nut yield, and shoot dry weight. Therefore, TS + CD 1:1 is recommended for production of tiger nut based on dry matter production and nut yield components.