Response of cassava, maize and egusi melon in a three crop intercropping system at Makurdi, Nigeria

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted from April to December, during the 2010 and 2011 cropping seasons, at the Research Farm, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria to evaluate the yield response of cassava, maize and egusi melon in a three crop intercropping system and to assess the advantage of the intercropping system. Sole cassava, sole maize, sole egusi melon and the intercrop of cassava, maize and egusi melon constituted the treatments. The four treatments were replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. The results obtained showed that in a cassava, maize and egusi melon mixture, intercropping did not significantly (P≤0.05) affect maize yield, however, intercrop yield of cassava was significantly (P≤0.05) depressed by 23.2 % and 31.0 % respectively, in 2010 and 2011, compared to that obtained from monocropped cassava. In addition, intercrop yield of egusi melon was significantly (P≤0.05) depressed by 34.8 % and 31.6 % respectively, in 2010 and 2011, compared to that produced from monocropped egusi melon. Total intercrop yield was greater than the component crop yields. Intercropping cassava, maize and egusi melon gave land equivalent ratio (LER) values of 2.51 and 2.47 respectively, in years 2010 and 2011, indicating that higher productivity per unit area was achieved by growing the three crops together than by growing them separately. With these LER values, 60.2 % and 59.5 % of lands were saved respectively, in 2010 and 2011, which could be used for other agricultural purposes.

Keywords

• Intercropping
• Cropping system
• Cassava
• Maize
• Egusi melon
• Nigeria