Effects of intercropping and plant density on growth, development and yield of pigeonpeas (cajanus cajan (l.) millsp.) and maize (zea mays l.). under semi- arid conditions of Kenya
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Date
1988
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Publisher
University of Nairobi
Abstract
In semi-arid areas of Kenya 95% and 70% of
pigeonpeas and maize, respectively are intercropped
This study was designed to determine the
annually.
effects of intercropping pigeonpeas and maize at
variable plant densities and also to determine the
appropriate intercropping ratio or combination for
optimum economic yield.
Two pigeonpea cultivars were intercropped
with Katumani maize at three plant densities in Ka-
bete, Thika and Kiboko during the 1986/87 cropping
season.
The experimental design was a split-split
plot with three replications at each location.
Re
sults indicated that intercropping and plant density
reduced leaf area and shoot dry weight of both pi-
geonpeas and maize.
Plant height of pigeonpeas was
reduced by intercropping while that of maize was
increased.
In pigeonpeas number of mature pods and
grain yield per plant were reduced by both inter
cropping and high plant density.
Reduction in 100
seed weight varied with location suggesting an en
vironmental influence.
For maize, number of cobs
and grain yield per plant were also reduced by
intercropping and high plant density. Generally, yield per hectare of a species in
intercrop was lower than in monocrop, but total yield
of intercrops (pigeonpea + maize) gave higher yield ad
vantage over monocrops.
Land equivalent ratio (LER)
values indicated that all intercrop ratios were superior
to monocropping.
At all the experimental sites best in
tercrop combination was attained when a row of pigeonpea
alternated with a .row of maize.
spacing, of 105 cm.
Description
Masters Theses
Keywords
Intercropping plant density, Maize pigeonpeas yield, Cajanus cajan (l.) millsp, Maize (zea mays l.), Semi- arid conditions, Kenya