Effect of varying maize intra-row spacing on intercropped yields of egusi melon (Citrullus lunatus Thunb.) and maize (Zea mays L.) at Makurdi, Nigeria

Paper Details

Research Paper 01/01/2012
Views (329) Download (21)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Effect of varying maize intra-row spacing on intercropped yields of egusi melon (Citrullus lunatus Thunb.) and maize (Zea mays L.) at Makurdi, Nigeria

Michael Ojore Ijoyah, Amos Alexander, Fanen Felix Terna
Int. J. Agron. Agri. Res.2( 1), 22-29, January 2012.
Certificate: IJAAR 2012 [Generate Certificate]

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted from June to September during the 2010 and 2011 cropping seasons, at the Research Farm, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria, to evaluate the effect of varying maize intra-row spacing on intercropped yields of egusi melon and maize and to assess the advantages of the intercropping system. The trial consisted of five treatments, replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. Three of the treatments consisted of three intra-row spacing (20 cm, 25 cm and 30 cm) into melon plots. Monocropped maize and melon, respectively sown at their recommended intra-row spacing of 25 cm and 35 cm constituted the fourth and fifth treatments, which also served as control plots. Results obtained showed that the greatest intercropped yields of egusi melon and maize were obtained when maize was sown at the intra-row spacing of 30 cm, significantly (P≤0.05) greater than the rest treatments. Maize sown at the intra-row spacing of 30 cm into egusi melon plots, not only recorded the lowest competitive pressure but gave the highest land equivalent ratio (LER) values of 1.80 and 1.76 respectively, in years 2010 and 2011, indicating that greater productivity per unit area was achieved by growing the two crops together than by growing them separately. With these LER values, 44.4 % and 43.2 % of land were saved respectively, in years 2010 and 2011, which could be used for other agricultural purposes. Both crops were found to be highly complementary and most suitable in mixture when maize was sown at the intra-row spacing of 30 cm. The implication of study showed that to maximize intercrop yields of egusi melon and maize, the optimal maize intra-row spacing would be 30 cm. This should therefore be recommended for Makurdi location, Nigeria.

VIEWS 22

Badifu GIO, Ogunsa AO. 1991. Chemical composition of kernels from some species of cucurbitaceae grown in Nigeria. Plant Foods and Human Nutrition 41, 35-44.

Enwezor WOE, Udo J, Ajotade KA. 1989. Fertilizer procurement and distribution. Fertilizer use and management practice for crops in Nigeria. Savenda Publishers, Nsukka, Nigeria, 25-28.

Groote HM. 2002. Identifying farmers preference for new maize varieties in Eastern Africa. 1st edition, CIMMYT Publishers, Nairobi, 102.

Hugar HY, Palled YB. 2008. Studies on maize-vegetable intercropping systems. Karnataka Journal of Agricultural Science 21, 162-164.

Iken JE, Amusa NA. 2004. Maize research and production in Nigeria. African Journal of Biotechnology 3, 302-307.

Kamara AY, Markir A, Ajala SO. 2005. Performance of diverse maize genotype under nitrogen deficiency in the Northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria, Experimental Agriculture 41, 199-212.

Kayode GO, Remison SU. 1982. Effect of intra-row spacing and nitrogen on maize in the Southern Guinea savanna zone of Nigeria. Nigeria Agricultural Journal 17/18, 22-31.

Kling JG, Edmeades G. 1997. Morphology and growth of maize. Research Guide No. 9 Training Programme. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria, 3-6.

Mohta NK, De R. (1980). Intercropping maize and sorghum with soybean. Agricultural Science Journal 95, 112-122.

Muneer AP, Fida HM, Mumtaz AK, Muhammad IS. 2004. Performance of maize in intercropping system with soybean under different patterns and nitrogen levels. Journal of Applied Sciences 4(2), 201-205.

Muoneke CO, Ogwuche MAO, Kalu BA. 2007. Effect of maize planting density on the performance of maize/soybean intercropping system in a Guinea savannah agroecosystem. African Journal of Agricultural Research 2(12), 667-677.

Muoneke CO, Asiegbu JE. 1997. Effects of okra planting density and spatial arrangement in intercrop with maize on the growth and yield of the component species. Journal of Agronomy Crop Science 179, 201-207.

Ogbonna PE, Obi IU. 2010. Aspects of reproductive character of Egusi melon. Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of Genetics Society of Nigeria, 22-27.

Okaka VB, Remison SU. 1999. Effects of intra-row spacing and fertilization on the performance of melon. Nigeria Agricultural Journal 30, 49-58.

Olufajo OO. 1992. Response of soybean to intercropping with maize in a sub-humid tropical environment. Tropical Oil Seeds Journal 1, 27-33.

Oyolu C, Macfarlance N. 1982. A study of the oil and the soluble protein components of five egusi cultivars. In abstracts on Tropical Agriculture 10(1), 104.

Poggio SL. 2005. Structure of weed communities occurring in monoculture and intercropping of field pea and barley. Agric. Ecosystem Environment 109, 48-58.

Prasad RB, Brook RM. 2005. Effect of varying maize densities on intercropped maize and soybean in Nepal, Expl. Agric. 11, 365-382.

Raji JA. 2007. Intercropping soybean and maize in a derived savanna ecology. African Journal of Biotechnology 6(16), 1885-1887.

Silwana TT, Lucas EO. 2002. The effect of planting combinations, weeding and yield of component crops of maize-bean and maize-pumpkin intercrops. Journal o Agricultural Science 138, 193-200.

Steel RGD, Torrie JH. 1980. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. A Biometrical Approach. 2nd edition. McGraw Hill, New York, 633pp.

Tindall HD. 1986. Vegetables in the Tropics. 1st edition, Macmillan Publishers, Hong Kong, 325-327.

Uzozie PR. 2001. Effect of time of interplanting maize on the performance of cassava-maize intercrop. Journal of Agricultural Science 12, 18-21. Willey RW. 1985. Evaluation and presentation of intercropping advantages. Expl. Agric. 21, 119-133.

Willey RW, Rao MR. 1980. A competitive ratio for quantifying competition between intercrops. Expl. Agric. 16, 117-125.