EFFECT OF NPK FERTILIZER ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF YAM (Dioscorea Spp), AND EGUSI-MELON (Coloncynthis citrillus) INTERCROP

Code No: 150423

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ABSTRACT

The experiment was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Ugbowo Campus Benin City Nigeria. The experiment was conducted under rain fed condition during the early cropping season (March to November) of the year 2013.
The experimental design was the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with yam and egusi-melon as the test crops. The trial consisted of 4 levels of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer (0, 200, 400, 600kg/ha) with 3 cropping systems and replicated 3 times.
It was observed that yam did well in sole than in intercropping. Average tuber yield of yam in fertilizer treatments was also greater than that of unfertilized plants. Also the average tuber yield and number of tubers were significant. The higher tuber yield of yam2.862t/ha and 2.991t/ha was obtained from 400kg/ha treatment in sole and in intercrop planting system. Higher number of tubers of 21.66 was obtained from 200kg/ha treatment in sole planting system.
The mean value of egusi-melon seed yield in intercrop and sole melon was 0.0513t/ha and 0.0511t/ha respectively. And the mean value obtained from average pods size was 28.97cm for sole and 34.0cm for intercrop. From the experiment, plot which was measured 4x1.5m per sub-plot, the average number of egusi-melon gotten was 34.0 for intercrop and 44.0 for sole.
The application of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer at 400kg/ha had the greatest influence on the yield of egusi-melon both as a sole and as intercrop. The application of 400kg/ha at 6WAP influenced the pod number.
The application of NPK 20:10:10 at 600kg/ha had the greatest influence on vine length and stem girth of egusi-melon both as sole and as intercrop. Average stem girth of 1.19cm in sole and 1.33cm in intercrop was obtained. Vine length of 154.3cm in intercrop as against 156.3cm recorded in sole planting.
The longest vine and the widest stem girth of yam were obtained at 400kg/ha of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer. Average vine length of 236.2cm in intercrop and 225.7cm in sole at 8WAP was obtained. Average stem girth of 1.55cm in intercrop as against 1.64cm recorded in sole planting.

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER ONE
1.0INTRODUCTION
Intercropping is an agricultural practice in which two or more crops are grown together in the field (Onwueme, 1978). One advantage of intercropping is that it increases yield: more can be grown on a single plot with intercropping.
Intercropping suppresses weed better than sole cropping. It provides an opportunity to utilize crops themselves as tools for weed management. In intercropping more complete crop coverage and high population density cause some competition to weed and thus reduce the weed growth. Compatible crop mixture which reduces weed competition viz a viz increases total yield should be selected. Result of a large number of experiment have indicated that short duration pulse like green grain, cowpea, soya beans as intercrop effectively smothers weeds. Intercropping short season crops e.g. maize and melon with large season crops like yam and cassava prevents weed from adapting to the growth cycle of either crops. Low growing crops like melon, sweet potato with maize, cassava, yam ass intercrops suppresses weed growth in Nigeria (Akobundo, 1987).
For farmers who donâ€™t have much land, it reduces farmers risk because if one crop fails, other crop may continue to grow. Mixed intercropping is common when cereals, grain legumes, and root crops are grown together and when little or no tillage is practiced (Akinola and Agboola etâ€™al 2007). Farmers in southern Nigeria plant two or more crops simultaneously in association and on the same piece of land. The most dominant crop mixture is:
Yam + melon + maize + vegetable,
Cassava + melon
Maize + melon + cassava
Yam + melon intercrops.
However, intercropping root crop like yam (Dioscorea spp) with egusi-melon (Colocynthis citrillus) is a common practice by farmers, as egusi-melon serves as a weed suppressant in the first 6 weeks of yam growth (Ogungbaigbe, etâ€™al 1996).