Abstract

Field trials were conducted at the University Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, southern Cote d'Ivoire during the 2015 and 2016 short rainy season to study the performance of maize (Zea mays L.) and cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] intercrop as influenced by row arrangement. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five treatments (SM; SC; MC; 1M1C and 2M4C) and three replications was used. SM was sole maize, SC was sole cowpea, MC was intra-line pattern, 1M:1C was inter-line pattern and 2M4C was strip-intercropping maize-cowpea. The results revealed that there were significant effects of cropping patterns on growth and yield components of maize and cowpea crops. Among the cropping systems studied during both years growing seasons 2015 and 2016, the highest yield advantage for cowpea and maize (land equivalent ratio = 1.62; 1.10) was obtained from intercropping pattern 2M:C4. The observed Land equivalent ratio (LER) values correspond to 38.27 and 9.90 % of lands saved which could be used for other agricultural purposes. With this cropping pattern, land equivalent coefficient (LEC) values (0.62 and 0.30) indicated that, greatest productivity per unit area was achieved by growing the two crops together. In this cropping pattern, both crops were highly complementary and most suitable in mixture as confirmed by competitive ratio (CR) values of 0.72.

Key words: Crop row arrangement, yield component, maize, cowpea, system productivity.