Preliminary trials on the intercropping of maize with different tropical legumes in Western Nigeria

Abstract

SummaryA preliminary investigation on interplanting of maize with nine different tropical legumes in the rain-forest zone of the Western State of Nigeria at Ibadan indicated that Popondo (Phaseolus lunatus) and Mucuna (Mucuna utilis) lowered maize yield, while calopo (Calopogonium tnucunoides) Cowpea (Vigna sinensis) and greengram (Phaseolus aureus) had much less effect on maize and were themselves tolerant to maize shade. These three legumes were interplanted with maize continuously for four growing seasons, during which there was a significant response of maize to fertilizer treatment only in the control (no legume) treatment. Maize interplanted with the legumes gave no response to applications of 50 lb N per acre.High yields of maize were maintained during the four growing seasons in both the fertilized control plots and those interplanted with different legumes without fertilizer, whereas the yield of maize in plots with neither legume nor fertilizer was reduced to half of the yield of the first maize crop.Starting from the third cropping season, there was a significant interaction between the presence or absence of legume and fertilizer.The planting pattern of the maize and legumes (intercropping or growing maize after the legume harvest) did not affect the yield of maize.Legumes tended to compete with maize during the late cropping season. This did not affect the maize yield seriously during the investigation, but legume yield was significantly suppressed by maize shade.