Paper · 2025 · European journal of ecology, biology and agriculture.

Effect of Timely Break of Apical Dominance in Specific Cassava Varieties on Their Aboveground Biomass and Root Yield

Adrien Ndonda; Antoine Frangoie; Billy Bolakonga; et al.

5
claims
9
verbatim quotes
0
citations
2
research areas
✓
Open access · cc-by

Abstract

A study conducted in forested areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo focused on four cassava varieties differing on their typical habits (high, low, and medium branching, as well as erect or unbranched trait). The varieties under study were subjected to four treatments: Topping, Thinning, Combination of topping and thinning, and Control (no topping or thinning), carried out after two months post-transplantation. Topping was about breaking the apical dominance by cutting off the cassava Pekoe plus four young and unfolded leaves, while thinning implied knocking off small stems in favor of the single most robust stem of the plant. Statistical analyses showed significant differences, as regards the behavior of the varieties that underwent topping. Nonetheless, positive effects from topping are dependent on cassava varieties and to their ability to generate new branches from dormant axillary buds. Among involved varieties, greater shoot emergence was noticed on medium-branching Nsansi upon knocking off the terminal bud. Topping happened to elicit a positive outcome on the production of tuberous roots, exemplified by a nearly 39% increase in yield. Besides, reduction of canopy volume through thinning resulted in about 11% decrease in yield.

Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by. Read at the source ↗

The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.

Claims 5

Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultsignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Cassava varieties responded differently to topping.

Treatment
toppinge0
Outcome
behavior of the varietiese0

Not reportedComparatorDirection

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Manihot esculenta
Manihot esculenta · Taxon葉子 · CC0 · iNaturalist ↗

Verbatim

e0

“significant differences, as regards the behavior of the varieties that underwent topping”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 667–755 · show in text ↑
t0

“Cassava Varieties”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 55–72 · show in text ↑
Associationauthor interpretationoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Topping effects depended on variety and capacity to produce new branches from dormant buds.

Material
cassava varietiese0
Organ / stage
dormant axillary budse0
Outcome
positive effects from toppinge0

Not reportedDirection

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Manihot esculenta
Manihot esculenta · Taxon葉子 · CC0 · iNaturalist ↗

Verbatim

e0

“positive effects from topping are dependent on cassava varieties and to their ability to generate new branches from dormant axillary buds”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 770–907 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Nsansi had greater shoot emergence after terminal-bud removal.

Material
Nsansie0
Treatment
knocking off the terminal bude0
Outcome
shoot emergencee0
Direction
greatere0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Manihot esculenta
Manihot esculenta · Taxon葉子 · CC0 · iNaturalist ↗

Verbatim

e0

“greater shoot emergence was noticed on medium-branching Nsansi upon knocking off the terminal bud”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 935–1032 · show in text ↑
t0

“Cassava Varieties”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 55–72 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Topping increased tuberous-root yield by nearly 39%.

Organ / stage
tuberous rootse0
Treatment
Toppinge0
Outcome
yielde0
Direction
increasee0
Value
nearly 39%e0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Manihot esculenta
Manihot esculenta · Taxon葉子 · CC0 · iNaturalist ↗

Verbatim

e0

“Topping happened to elicit a positive outcome on the production of tuberous roots, exemplified by a nearly 39% increase in yield”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1034–1162 · show in text ↑
t0

“Cassava Varieties”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 55–72 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultnegativemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Thinning reduced yield by about 11%.

Treatment
thinninge0
Outcome
yielde0
Direction
decreasee0
Value
about 11%e0

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Manihot esculenta
Manihot esculenta · Taxon葉子 · CC0 · iNaturalist ↗

Verbatim

e0

“reduction of canopy volume through thinning resulted in about 11% decrease in yield”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1173–1256 · show in text ↑
t0

“Cassava Varieties”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 55–72 · show in text ↑

pruning · yield · Manihot esculenta (cassava)Results differ

26 papers: 13 positive, 13 negative or no effect

12 papers in the same direction as this paper · 13 in the opposite direction

  1. negative
  2. negative
  3. no effect

22 papers more in this group

See all 26 papers →

Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.