Evaluation of Mixture Productivity and Economic Profit of Inter Cropped Garden Egg and Okra as Influenced by Application of Moringa oleifera Extracts, Poultry Manure and N.P.K Fertilizer in Cropping Systems of Farmers in North Central Nigeria.

Abstract

The plant height of Okra was significantly (p> 0.05) greater   under intercropping than in sole cropping.  The highest plant height, number of leaves and leaf area per plant were obtained from stands of Okra that were treated with aqueous foliar spray of Moringa extracts though not significantly (p>0.05) different from those that received poultry manure and N.P.K fertilizer. The growth parameters of garden egg were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by intercropping in both 2012 and 2013 respectively. Stands of Okra applied with Moringa oleifera extracts under sole cropping system produced 76% and 70% more pods than the stands in the control plots in 2012 and 2013 while those under intercropping produced 76% and 74% than those in the control plots in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Also in 2012 and 2013, the pod yield of okra treated with Moringa extracts was 90% and 86% greater than those in the control plots under sole cropping situations while under inter cropping it was 90% greater than the control. Intercropping depressed number of pod per plant in 2012 by 4% and 2013 by 2% while pod yield was depressed in 2012 and 2013 only by 6% respectively. Like in Okra, the fruit production of garden egg was significantly (p>0.05) influenced by Moringa oleifera extracts. The highest fruit yield was recorded from stands treated with Poultry manure although not significantly different from those given N.P.K. fertilizer and aqueous Moringa leaf extracts. The Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) values of the okra/garden egg intercrops except those of the control plots were greater than unity in both years of cropping. On the average, the LER of the intercrops that were applied with Moringa eatracts in 2012 and 2013 were 1.44 and 1.46, indicating 44% and 46% yield advantage over the sole crops. There is economic prospect in the use Moringa extracts in the production of okra and garden egg under both cropping systems.

Keywords: Okra, Garden egg, Moringa oleifera, NPK fertilizer, cropping systems, Land Equivalent Ratio