Evaluation of Proximate Composition Based on Cutting Heights of Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.) in Bagauda, Kano State

Abstract

A field trial was carried out during the 2022 rainy season at the National Horticultural Research Institute Bagauda substation (NIHORT)  situated in the Sudan savannah ecological zone of Nigeria (190 4̍ N, long 120 26' E, and 721m above sea level). The trial was done to  investigate cutting heights response on the proximate composition analysis of Amaranthus cruentus. The treatments consisted of three  cutting heights (10cm, 15cm and 20cm) and laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Fresh samples were  oven dried and grounded into powder using blender and passed through 2mm sieve. which were determined using standard procedure  by AOAC method and analyzed for proximate composition.There were significant effects in the results obtained on the percentage of fat and crude fibre only.Percentage of protein, moisture, carbohydrate, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium were found to be non- significant. These findings suggest that cutting amaranth shoots at 20cm above the ground has an increased effect on means of  percentage fat (3.062) and crude fibre (3.80) containing nutrients that has great potential for mechanical harvesting that may improve  the nutritional components of the crop.