Evaluation of Harvesting Tools for Enhancing Tiger Nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) Yield and Reducing Tuber Losses in Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

Absence or insufficiency of production tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) production is more of the time lack of suitable harvesting tools available for farmers in Côte d'Ivoire. In order to solve this constraint, field investigations have been understood at university experimental site (district of Daloa: Tagoura). The experimental design consisted of three randomized blocks. The treatment in this structure involved two factors mainly variety and harvesting tools. Harvest of the both tiger nut varieties (variety with large tubers and variety with small tubers) have been done with several tools: hand harvesting, a hoe (Control=Hoe), a small two-pronged fork, and a large three-pronged fork. About eight parameters have been collected during the crop tubers harvesting and that includes Number of tubers on the stem; Mass of tubers on the stem, Yield of tubers on stem from plot, Number of tubers remaining in the soil, Mass of tubers remaining in the soil, Yield of tubers remaining in the soil, Number of tubers sprouted after harvest, Yield of tubers sprouted after harvest. The data have been analyzed by using two-ways analysis of variance and the Newman-Keuls test to determine the best harvesting tool. The results showed that the three-pronged fork is the most effective tool to reduce tuber loss of the large tuber variety from the soil. Indeed; this tool allowed to get a yield of 1267.92 ±1585.31 kg/ha with only 4.13±2.89 kg/ha retention in the ground. Therefore, Ivorian women farmers are advised to adopt this variety and use the three-pronged fork to improve the productivity of tiger nuts.