EFFECTS OF HUMIDITY AND SHADING CONDITION TO GROWTH OF CASSAVA MOSAIC DISEASE SEEDLINGS HN5 IN TUNNEL GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS, DAKLAK PROVINCE

Abstract

Enhancing the quantity and quality of cassava seedlings, particularly those resistant to cassava mosaic disease (CMD), plays a crucial role in meeting the growing current demands of the growers. This study aimed to assess the influence of humidity and shading conditions on the growth potential of HN5 seedlings, the CMD resistant cultivar in Tunnel greenhouses. The results revealed that the germination rate under various humidity and shading conditions was high, from 95.13% to 98.46%. However, humidity and light significantly affected the growth of HN5 cassava seedlings after being transplanted into trays or pots (35 days after planting). The data demonstrated that among the experimental conditions the humidity level at 71 - 75%, combined with two weeks of black mesh shading, provided the most favorable conditions for the growth of HN5 cassava seedlings. Under this condition, the seedlings exhibited the greatest height of  44.66 cm, the number of leaves were 18.00, the stem diameters reached to 4.96 mm and the pest infection rate remained low, with ≤ 1.33%. The study results highlight that maintaining the appropriate humidity and shading conditions can significantly enhance the quality of HN5 cassava seedlings in Tunnel greenhouse conditions.