Abstract: Field experiments were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Crop Production and Horticulture, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola during the 2009 and 2010 raining seasons to study the effects of intercropping ratio on the growth and yield of groundnut- maize inter-cropped. Treatments consisted of four intercropping ratio (1:1, 2:1, 2:2, and 3:2) while 1:1 is one row of groundnut alternated with one row of maize, 2:1 is two rows of groundnut alternated with one row of maize, 2:2 is two rows of groundnut alternated with two rows of maize and 3:2 is three rows of groundnut alternated with two rows of maize arranged in a split plot design and replicated three times. Parameters measured includes: number of branches and number of leaves/plant, plant height, stem and cob diameter, number of pods/plant, 100 pods and seed weight/plot, weight of ears/plot, 100 grain weight/plot and seed and grain yield/hectare, forage and stover weight/plot, were measured. The result of the study show that there were significant differences among the intercropping ratio on growth parameters measured. Stem diameter and bunch height shows significant influence due to intercropping pattern. Yield parameters such as number of pods/plant and cob diameter were significant at p≤0.01 by intercropping ratio. Based on the result obtained it shows that groundnut – maize intercropped ratio of 2:2 and 3:2 gave the optimum yield in the two years study in Yola. Farmers in Yola and its environs are therefore advised to adopt 2:2 and 3:2 groundnut – maize intercropped ratio for optimum pod, seeds and grains yield of groundnut and maize.
Keywords: Growth, yield, intercrop and ratio.
Title: GROWTH AND YIELD OF GROUNDNUT (Arachis hypogea (L.)) AND MAIZE (Zea mays (L.)) AS INFLUENCED BY INTERCROP RATIO IN YOLA, ADAMAWA STATE.
Author: Teme, G. T. and Talaka, A.
International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations
ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online)
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