Weed infestation and productivity of maize/soybean intercrop as influenced by cropping patterns in the southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during the 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons at the Teaching and Research (T & R) Farm of the College of Agriculture, Kwara State University, Malete, to determine the effect of cropping patterns on weed infestation, growth and yield of a maize/soybean intercrop in the southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria. The experiments consisted of six treatments as follows: one row of maize alternated with one row of soybean (1:1), one row of maize alternated with two rows of soybean (1:2), two rows of maize alternated with one row of soybean (2:1), two rows of maize alternated with two rows of soybean (2:2), sole maize (1:0) and sole soybean (0:1). The treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and means were separated by the least significant difference (LSD) at the 5% level of probability. Results showed that sole soybean consistently suppressed weeds and resulted in a higher yield. Similarly, the 2:1 ratio of maize to soybean did not only reduce weed density, it produced significantly higher yields of maize and lower yield of soybean, and had the higher land equivalent ratio and economic returns followed by sole maize.

Maize and Soya Bean Response to the Residual Influence of Early-Season Cropping System and Fertiliser Applications

“…Despite the high cost of inorganic fertilisers, they have minimal effects on the subsequent crops (Porte et al, 2022), while their frequent application leads to soil acidification and soil organic matter reduction, thus threatening soil health (Mumbach et al, 2019). The favourable response of crops to organic fertiliser in this region has been documented (Imoloame and Ahmed, 2018). Likewise, a study conducted by Porte et al (2022) has reported the favourable response of subsequent crops to the residual effects of the organic fertiliser applied to a previous crop.…”