THE GROWTH AND SEED YIELD OF MAIZE VARIETY AS AFFECTED BY TWO LEGUMES INTERCROP

Akanbi, W.B, Olalekan, K.K Lamidi, W.A, Othman, H.J, and Ishaku, M.A

Dr A.S ,Adeyeye, THE GROWTH AND SEED YIELD OF MAIZE VARIETY AS AFFECTED BY TWO LEGUMES INTERCROP(2017)SDRP Journal of Plant Science 2(1):59-64

Intercropping as a simultaneous growing of two or more crops in the same field is a cropping system that has long been used for a long time especially in the tropics to increase productivity and sustainability through maximum utilization of land, labor and growth resources, hence the study was conducted to evaluate growth and yield effect of maize variety intercropped with two legumes on the field at the Teaching and Research Farm of Federal University Wukari,Taraba State, Nigeria. The experimental treatments consisted of two legumes as groundnut and bambara nut intercropped with two varieties of maize ( white and yellow). These were laid out on the field using randomized complete block design with three replications .Data were collected on the growth and yield parameters and analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) at 5% level of probability. Results showed that white maize intercropped with groundnut produced significant taller plants and same trend was observed with the number of leaves. Further results revealed that groundnut and white maize intercrop gave the highest Stem girth at 4weeks after planting while the highest 100 seed weight of 25.17g was recorded from white maize and groundnut intercrop. The yield of maize was better when intercropped with legumes. Therefore the combination of white maize and groundnut is recommended as promising option in the maize and legumes intercrop production in the study area.

Key word: maize legumes, intercrop, growth, yield, variety.

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