ABSTRACT
Two field experiments were carried out at NdumeIbeku in Umuahia North Local Government Area, UmuahiaAbia State in 2016 cropping season (early and late season) to determine the cropping system and seasonal effect on the growth and yield of maize and vegetable cowpea in an intercropping system. The experimental design was 2 x 3 split plot factorial in a Randomized Complete Block Design with 7 treatment combination replicated three times. The treatments were early and late season as main plot factor and cropping system (sole, maize, sole cowpea climbing, sole cowpea spreading, maize/cowpea climbing within rows, maize/cowpea climbing between rows, maize/cowpea spreading within rows, maize/cowpea spreading between rows as sub plot factor in 2016 cropping seasons. Cropping system influenced the growth, yield of maize and cowpea in 2016 cropping seasons. Early planting resulted in better emergence, longer vine, and higher number of cowpea branches per plant and there was no significant difference in the number of leaves per plant between early and late seasons. Within each cropping system pod production was highest when maize is intercropPED with cowpea climbing than when maize is intercropped with cowpea spreading. There was significant (P<0.05) effect on number of fresh pods per plant, weight of fresh pods per plant, fresh pod yield and seed yield. There was also difference in maize growth for emergence, plant height but there was no difference in number of leaves per plant between the seasons. The weight of grain per plant, 100 grain weight and grain yield were higher in early season than the late season while there was no difference in cropping system. There was interaction effect of cropping system and season. There was no difference in number of weeds/m2 and weed dry weight for the seasons, while there was significantly (P<0.05) difference in cropping system for number of weeds/m2 (late) and weed dry weight/m2. And in any season the total land equivalent ration was between 1.31 and 1.42 showing about 31-42% yield advantage due to intercrop based on sole cropping of both maize and cowpea in relation to their intercrops. And in the late season the total land equivalent ratio was between 1.02 and 1.64. The yield advantages were more when spreading or climbing cowpea were intercropped between maize rows. Based on the research it was recommended that farmers should adopt early season cropping to enhance productivity.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
Page i
Declaration
ii
Certification
iii
Dedication
iv
Acknowledgements v
Table
of Contents vi
List
of Tables viii
Abstract ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Objectives 3
CHAPTER TWO:
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Intercropping
as a Practice 5
2.2 Intercropping
Advantage and Disadvantages 6
2.3
Intercropping and Weed Effects 7
2.4
Pests and Diseases in Intercropping 8
2.5
Effect of Early and Late Rains on the
Crops 9
2.6 Cereal-Legume Intercropping 10
2.7 Assessment of Crop Performance in
Intercropping System 12
2.8 Assessment of Yield Advantages 12
CHAPTER THREE: MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1 Location
of the Experimental Site 15
3.2 Experimental Design and Treatments
Allocation 15
3.3 Land Preparation 16
3.4 Soil Sample Collection 16
3.5 Planting Material and Planting 16
3.6 Data Collection 16
3.7 Statistical Analysis 18
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Soil
Physical and Chemical Properties at NdumeI beku
Early and Late Seasons of 2016 19
4.2 Cowpea Growth Attributes 19
4.3
Cowpea Yield and Yield Components 23
4.4 Interaction
of Cropping Systems and Seasons on Fresh
Pod Yield of Cowpea in 2016 29
4.5 Maize Growth Attributes 29
4.6 Maize Yield and Yield Component 29
4.7 Interaction
of Cropping System and Season on Grain
Yield (t/ha) of Maize in 2016 36
4.8 Effect
of Weed on Maize and Cowpea during the Early
and Late Planting Seasons in 2016 36
4.9 Productivity
of Intercropping System 40
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Conclusion 42
5.2 Recommendation 42
References 43
LIST OF TABLES
4.1 Soil physical and chemical properties at
NdumeIbeku early and late
seasons
of 2016. 20
4.2 Meteorological
data of the experiment site in 2016 cropping seasons
from
agro-meteorological station National Root Crop Research Institute,
Umudike 21
4.3 Main effect of cropping season on the
growth of cowpea in 2016 22
4.4 Growth of cowpea as influenced by
cropping system during the early
and
late rains in 2016 cropping seasons 23
4.5
Main effect of cropping season on
yield component and
yield
of vegetable cowpea in 2016 26
4.6 Main effect of cropping season on seed
yield and its component of
vegetable
cowpea in 2016 27
4.7 Effect of cropping system on the yield of
cowpea during
the
early and late planting season in 2016 28
4.8 Interaction of cropping system and season
on fresh pod yield
(t/ha)
of cowpea in 2016 31
4.9 Main effect of cropping season on the
growth of maize in 2016 32
4.10 Growth of maize as influenced by cropping
system during the early
and
late planting season in 2016 33
4.11 Main effect of cropping season on yield and
yield
components
of maize in 2016 34
4.12 Effect of cropping system on the yield of
maize during the early
and
late planting in 2016 35
4.13 Interaction of cropping system and season
on grain
yield
(t/ha) of maize in 2016 37
4.14 Main effect of season on number of weed per
m2 and weed
dry
weight (g/m2) in 2016 38
4.15 Effect of weed on maize and cowpea during
the early
and
late planting in 2016 39
4.16 Assessment of profitability of the
intercropping system using
land
equivalent ratio (LER) 41
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Intercropping
is the growing of two or more crops on the same piece of land within the same
year to promote their interaction and it also maximizes chances of productivity
by avoiding dependence on only one crop (Sullivan, 2003). Various intercropping
patterns of legumes and non-legumes have been a central feature of many
agricultural systems in the tropics (Willey, 1979, CIAT,1986).In intercropping
system, component crops are grown in proximity to promote interaction between
them. Crops such as cassava, maize, yam are grown as major crops while melon, cowpea
and vegetables are grown as minor crops in various parts of Africa (IITA,
1990).
In
humid rainforest zones of South Eastern Nigeria, intercropping is dominant
because it is a viable strategy for high total crop yield, increased monetary
return, insurance against crop failure, reduction of pest and diseases, control
of erosion and weeds (Muoneke and Asiegbu, 1997).
Maize
(Zea mays L.) is one of the oldest
food sources and is a fully domesticated plant. It is a productive food plant
and has the highest potential for carbohydrate accumulation per unit area per
day (Aldrich et al, 1975). In an
African context maize is, in terms of production, the most important grain
cereal before wheat, with rice occupying third place.
Maize
can be used in many forms including food for human consumption and livestock and
for industrial purposes (Muoneke et al.,
2007).
In
Nigeria, maize is a staple food of great socio-economic importance. It is grown
for its grain which contains 65% carbohydrate, 10-12% protein and 4-5% fat
(Iken and Amusa, 2004). The crop also contain the trace elements such as
carotene, thiamine and ascorbic acid
Cowpea
(Vigna unguiculata (L.)Walp) is also
an important staple food for millions of relatively poor people in less
developed countries (Coetzee, 1995). Growth forms vary and may be erect,
trailing, climbing or bushy.
Cowpea
variety selection is the key to the modification of cropping systems and is
exceptionally suitable for intercropping. (Singh et al., 2002). According to Nelson and Robichaux (1997) this is
important, as different plant traits are required for cultivars intended for
use under intercropping compared to sole cropping. Terao et al. (1997) concluded that spreading cowpea types are more
adapted to intercropping because of improved root systems and high
translocation efficiency and are also believed to give better weed control and
conserve moisture. Nelson and Robichaux (1997) reported that cultivars with
bush type growth patterns have higher yield under sole cropping whereas
spreading types have higher yield under intercropping. The climbing cowpea
types with long growth duration have higher nutrient and water uptake than the
short bush type cowpea cultivars (Polthanee et
al., 2001). Subsistence farmers require varieties, which produce acceptable
grain and fodder yields under a wide range of environments. Vegetable cowpea is
highly nutritious. The young leaves, immature pods and peas are used as
vegetable and providing protein, vitamins and minerals (Orode, 1986). Maize and
cowpea intercropping is a very common practice in the tropics with its
productivity depending on the complementary effect between the companion crops
(Vesterager, et al., 2008).
In Southern Nigeria, cropping season has a
bimodal rainfall (Olasantan, 1999). The
early cropping season follow the early rains in March /April to July while late
cropping season follow the late rains commencing in August-October (Olasantan
and Lucas, 1992, Olasantan, 2003).The climate during the two cropping seasons
varies in ways that they influence agronomic practices and crop growth. The
early season rainfall is of long duration and the amount is relatively high.
1.1 OBJECTIVE
i.
To determine the crop
response to intercropping maize with different vegetable cowpea of contrasting
growth habits
ii.
To evaluate the
productivity of the intercropping system and
iii.
To assess the weed
control efficiency of the intercroppingn system
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