Abstract
The supply of spider plant (Cleome gynandra L.) as one of the African leafy vegetables in Kenya is low and this is attributed to limited access by farmers to improved varieties. This study was carried out to evaluate the comparative effect of different accessions on growth of spider plant in greenhouse and outdoor systems. Greenhouse and outdoor experiments were conducted in 2011 and 2012 in Juja, Kenya. The main objective was: to determine the influence of spider plant genotypes on plant growth variables, and compare the two production systems of outdoor and greenhouse. The 4 lines that were developed at the World Vegetable Centre, Arusha, were evaluated alongside the commercial variety, P6 (control). Plants were harvested at 6 and 9 weeks old, and both plant height and leaf area estimated. Data was analyzed in SAS 9.1.3 software. Accessions were ranked from 1-5 in terms of performance. Results indicated that UGSF14 and MLSF17 produce more leaf area and tall plants compared to all other genotypes under the outdoor system. The study recommended that farmers should grow improved spider plant varieties under outdoor system rather than in the greenhouse in order to realize more yields.
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