African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6727

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of row spatial arrangements on agromorphological responses of maize (Zea mays L.) and cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] in an intercropping system in Southern Cote d'Ivoire

KIMOU Serge Herve
  • KIMOU Serge Herve
  • Laboratoire de Biologie et Amélioration des Productions Végétales, UFR Sciences de la Nature, Université Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire.
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COULIBALY Lacina Falengue
  • COULIBALY Lacina Falengue
  • UFR des Sciences Biologiques, Département de Biologie Végétale, Université Péléforo Gon Coulibaly, BP 1328 Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire.
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KOFFI Bertin Yao
  • KOFFI Bertin Yao
  • Laboratoire de Biologie et Amélioration des Productions Végétales, UFR Sciences de la Nature, Université Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire.
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TOURE Yaya
  • TOURE Yaya
  • Laboratoire de Biologie et Amélioration des Productions Végétales, UFR Sciences de la Nature, Université Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire.
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DEDI Ky Juliette
  • DEDI Ky Juliette
  • Laboratoire de Biologie et Amélioration des Productions Végétales, UFR Sciences de la Nature, Université Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire.
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KONE Mongomake
  • KONE Mongomake
  • Laboratoire de Biologie et Amélioration des Productions Végétales, UFR Sciences de la Nature, Université Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire.
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  •  Received: 08 June 2017
  •  Accepted: 25 July 2017
  •  Published: 24 August 2017

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.

Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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