F. Kavamahanga et al., INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT N RATES AND INTERCROPPING METHODS ON GRAIN-SORGHUM, COMMON BEAN, AND SOYA BEAN YIELDS, Tropical agriculture, 72(4), 1995, pp. 257-260
Intercropping grain sorghum and legumes is a common practice in the tr
opics, but the effects of N application in an intercropping system hav
e not been fully studied. Therefore, field experiments were conducted
on a Decatur silty loam (Rhodic Paleudult) soil to evaluate the effect
s of N and intercropping methods on grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.)
with common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and soya bean (Glycine max L
.). Four N rates (0, 33, 66, 99 kg ha(-1)) were utilized on sorghum in
terplanted, in alternate rows or alternating plants within rows, with
common bean and soya bean. A sole planting (pure stand) of each specie
s was added as a control treatment. Grain sorghum yield when intercrop
ped with common bean and soya bean was 112% and 91% of the sole planti
ng yield, respectively. Yields of intercropped soya bean and common be
an were 90% and 68% of their respective sole plantings. The yield diff
erence between intercrop and sole crop sorghum became less as N rates
increased. Sorghum yields and common bean responded positively to an i
ncrease in N from 0 to 99 kg ha(-1). Efficiency of production from int
ercropped treatments, as measured by the land equivalent ratio, was si
gnificantly higher (1.83) than sole plantings.