Effect of Maize/Bambara Groundnut Inter-Crop on Soil Properties, Growth and Yield Parameter of the Intercrop Species (Published)
The rationale behind the intercropping system is that it is an efficient utilization of land, and other natural resources and economic production system as it increased yield per unit area. Against this back drop, a field trial was carried out at the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State to evaluate the effect of maize/Bambara groundnut intercropping on soil properties, growth and yield parameters of the intercrop species. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three treatments consisting of sole maize (SM), sole bambara groundnut (SB), intercrop maize/bambara groundnut (IMB). The treatments were replicated four (4) times and data collected were subjected to an analysis of variance test and mean were separated using least significant difference. The result obtained from the study showed that among the soil parameters tested, avail. P, TN and exchangeable K showed statistically significant difference among the treatments. The value obtained for TN, OC, Mg, EA and ECEC showed 12.50%, 3.2%, 33.33%, 20% and 0.60% increase in IMB relative to SB. The data obtained from the agronomic parameters tested showed that intercropping system greatly influenced the plant height, grain yield, relative and equivalent yield of maize in the intercrop and not effective in the intercrop bambara groundnut. The result obtained also showed an intercrop advantage with land equivalent ratio (LER) of 1.54. With these findings, the farmers in the locality are advised to include bambara groundnut or any other legumes in their crop production systems for efficient and adequate utilization of natural resources and land management
Keywords: Bambara groundnut, Intercropping, Maize, Soil Properties, land equivalent ratio