Productivity of Sorghum/Soyabean Intercrop as Influenced by Cultivar and Row Arrangement in the Northern Guinea Savanna Agro-ecology of Nigeria

Abstract

Field trials were conducted at the Institute for Agricultural  Research (IAR) farm, Samaru, Zaria during the 2008, 2009 and 2010 rain-fed seasons to study the performance of sorghum/soyabean intercrop as influenced by cultivar and row arrangement. The treatments tested were made up of two sorghum cultivars ( SAMSORG-14 and SAMSORG-17), two soyabean cultivars (TGx 1448-2E and SAMSOY 2) and four crop row arrangements (1SG:1SY, 1SG:2SY, 2SG:1SY and 2SG:2SY, of sorghum : soyabean rows) in factorial combinations. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. Significantly higher sorghum grain and panicle yields per hectare were recorded at the 2SG:1SY and 1SG:1SY arrangements, respectively than the other crop row arrangements evaluated. The 2SG:1SY row arrangement out-yielded 1SG:2SY, which was the least productive by 85%. The two soyabean cultivars did not differ in yield and yield attributes. However, the two sorghum cultivars had similar grain yield. Intercropped soyabean cultivars had no significant effect on yield attributes of sorghum. Soyabean grain yield was 93.3% higher in 1SG:2SY row arrangement relative to the least value obtained at 2SG:1SY row arrangement.

Key words: Crop row arrangement, cultivars, yield attributes