Effects of surface application of gypsum in corn intercropped with jack bean (Canavalia eusiformis) with different soil penetration resistance

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate production components, yield of maize intercropped with jack bean and soil resistance to penetration using different doses of gypsum. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design in split plots with four replications and was carried out during season 2013/2014. The main plots were maize intercropped with jack beans and maize sown alone, and the subplots were six doses of gypsum (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 t ha-¹). Thirty days before maize sowing gypsum doses were manually applied to soil surface. The spacing between rows was 0.70 m, 4.2 sowing seeds per meter. Jack bean was manually sown two days after maize was sown in inter-row spacing. Production components and maize yield were assessed. After maize harvest, soil resistance to penetration was assessed. Gypsum doses promoted linear increases in the stem diameter of maize. Maize intercropping with jack bean (Canavalia eusiformis) did not affect the maize components of production and productivity, but reduced the soil penetration resistance. Rates of agricultural gypsum did not influence the productivity; however, it promoted a reduction in SPR at dose of 2.0 t ha -1 .

Short-Term Impact of Multi-Cropping on Some Soil Physical Properties and Respiration

“…The fluffiest soil was observed in the MA + FB binary-crop. Seidel et al [23,24] found that inter-cropped maize decreases soil penetration resistance. The maximum soil penetration resistance in our experiment was observed at the 25 cm depth in the hemp mono-crop.…”

Symbiotic Functioning and Photosynthetic Rates Induced by Rhizobia Associated with Jack Bean (Canavalia ensiformis L.) Nodulation in Eswatini

“…Though, their young pods and beans are eaten as vegetables, they do contain anti-nutritional factors (protease inhibitors, lectins, saponins and tannins) that require careful processing [27]. Jack bean can also contribute about 360 kg N ha −1 to the cropping system through biological nitrogen fixation [28], and is grown as a green manure [26,29], cover crop or a companion to a cereal crop [27,30]. Numerous studies have reported on the potential of native African rhizobia-nodulating legumes such as Bambara groundnut, common bean, cowpea and Kersting's groundnut, as well as introduced soybean, to be included in inoculant production for use across Africa through studying the symbiotic effectiveness of these legumes [15,[31][32][33][34][35][36].…”

Phytosociological Survey of Spontaneous Plants in the Culture of Agroecological Maize with Plants of Intercalar Coverage

“…According to Seidel et al [6], cover plants are also called green fertilizers, they are plants cultivated in consortium, in rotation or in succession with the crop of interest. When cultivated in consortium with maize they must be very competitive with the spontaneous plants, but at the same time they cannot affect the production of the main crop.…”