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Effect Of Npk Fertilizer On The Growth And Yield Components Of Yam (dioscorea Spp), And Egusi-melon (coloncynthis Citrillus) Intercrop
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CHAPTER ONE
1.0INTRODUCTION
Intercropping is an agricultural
practice in which two or more crops are grown together in the field
(Onwueme, 1978). One advantage of intercropping is that it increases
yield: more can be grown on a single plot with intercropping.
Intercropping
suppresses weed better than sole cropping. It provides an opportunity
to utilize crops themselves as tools for weed management. In
intercropping more complete crop coverage and high population density
cause some competition to weed and thus reduce the weed growth.
Compatible crop mixture which reduces weed competition viz a viz
increases total yield should be selected. Result of a large number of
experiment have indicated that short duration pulse like green grain,
cowpea, soya beans as intercrop effectively smothers weeds.
Intercropping short season crops e.g. maize and melon with large season
crops like yam and cassava prevents weed from adapting to the growth
cycle of either crops. Low growing crops like melon, sweet potato with
maize, cassava, yam ass intercrops suppresses weed growth in Nigeria
(Akobundo, 1987).
For farmers who don’t have much land, it reduces
farmers risk because if one crop fails, other crop may continue to grow.
Mixed intercropping is common when cereals, grain legumes, and root
crops are grown together and when little or no tillage is practiced
(Akinola and Agboola et’al 2007). Farmers in southern Nigeria plant two
or more crops simultaneously in association and on the same piece of
land. The most dominant crop mixture is:
Yam + melon + maize + vegetable,
Cassava + melon
Maize + melon + cassava
Yam + melon intercrops.
However,
intercropping root crop like yam (Dioscorea spp) with egusi-melon
(Colocynthis citrillus) is a common practice by farmers, as egusi-melon
serves as a weed suppressant in the first 6 weeks of yam growth
(Ogungbaigbe, et’al 1996).
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]The experiment was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Ugbowo Campus Benin City Nigeria. The experiment was conducted under rain fed condition during the early cropping season (March to November) of the year 2013.The experimental design was the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with yam and egusi-melon as the test crops. The trial consisted of 4 levels of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer (0, 200, 400, 600kg/ha) with 3 cropping systems and replicated 3 times.It was observed ... Continue reading---
