ARC Home I SJAR Home I About SJAR I Article Order Info. I Contribution to SJAR

Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research

Intercropping effect using local cowpea on Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth. control and grain yield of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

Ali El-Toum Hassan and Elasha A. Elasha

Abstract:

An experiment was carried out for two seasons under rain fed conditions on the heavy cracking clay soil of Gedarif to find out the optimum intercrop density of the prostrating local cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) when used as a trap crop for Striga hermonthica control and its impact on grain yield of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). Three different intercropping treatments (62500 plants/ha; D1, 42500 plants/ha; D2 and 32500 plants/ha; D3), each representing a different plant density of the cowpea crop were compared to two sole treatments (sorghum with 100000 plants/ha; D4 and cowpea with 62500 plants/ha; D5). Intercropping had significantly reduced Striga infestation by 84%, 76% and 73% for D1, D2 and D3 treatments, respectively. Differences in soil moisture at physiological maturity were not significant; however the moisture content tended to increase with intercropping. Intercropping did not affect plant height and 100-seed weight of both sorghum and cowpea. However, intercropping effect on sorghum grain yield and total seed yield (sorghum + cowpea) was significant and D2 gave the highest values. The performance of the trap crop (cowpea) was significantly affected by mixing with sorghum and gave a lower seed yields under the mixed plots. In addition, intercropping increased total forage yields.




 

Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 11  (2008) PP. 53-60