Response of Cowpea Cultivars of Contrasting Maturity Dates to Varying Components Population Ratios of Early Maturing Maize
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2013-09-17
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Faculty of Agriculture, Nnamdi Azikwe University. Nigeria
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted in 2008 and 2009 cropping seasons at Ejiba (180 180N, 50 39°E), located in the Southern Guinea Savanna agro-ecological zone of Nigeria, to determine the response of cowpea of three maturity groups (early, medium and late maturing) to varying component population ratios of maize. Five intercrop component population ratios viz; 100%C: 75%M, 100%C: 50%M, 100%C: 25%C, 75%C: 25%M and 50%C: 50%M (where C and M represented cowpea and maize respectively) were used. Sole cowpea and maize were included as control treatments. The treatments were arranged as factorial in a randomized complete block design in three replicates. The Late maturing cowpea produced more branches and pods than the early and medium varieties either as sole or intercrop in all population ratios observed. Percentage yield reduction in medium maturing cowpea was higher than those recorded in the other varieties at all population ratios tested. The highest intercrop yield of cowpea (2.65t/ha and 2.80t/ha in 2008 and 2009, respectively) were obtained in late maturing cowpea at component population ratio of 100%C: 25%M. Intercropping maize at 75% full population with late maturing cowpea recorded the highest Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) (1.33 and 1.34 respectively, in 2008 and 2009). Similar LER and ATER values were obtained in the early cowpea/maize system at this component population ratio. These results clearly showed the superiority and suitability of intercropping early and late maturing cowpeas at full population with early maturing maize at 25-75% full population particularly when the component crops are planted at the same time.
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