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Journal of Agriculture and Biological Sciences Vol.2(6) pp.176 -182, September 2011
Available online Available online http://www.globalresearchjournals.org/journal/?a=journal&id=jabs
Copyright ©2011 Global Research Journals.
Full Length Research.
Effects of Population of low Growing Crops in intercrops and Fertilizer Levels on the Yield of different Low Growing Crops
By
Okonmah, L.U.
Department of Agronomy,Delta State University,
Asaba Campus, Asaba, Nigeria.
e-mail: Lawucheokonmah@gmail.com,Phone:080345626174
Accepted 2nd June 2011.
| Abstract |
A study was carried out during the 2005, 2006 and 2007 cropping seasons at the Research and teaching Farm of the Agronomy Department of the Faculty of Agriculture, Delta State University, Asaba Campus, Asaba Nigeria to evaluate the effects of populations (0, 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000 population/ha and fertilizer levels (0, 200 and 400kg/ha) on the yield of three low growing crops (groundnut, egusi – melon and sweet potato) with a view to recommending the crop(s) with the highest yield to farmers in the area. The experiment was a split – split factorial experiment fitted into a randomized complete block design and replicated four times. The results showed that the three low growing crop grown in NPK treated soils performed significantly (P≤0.05) higher when compared with the control sub – plots without fertilizer treatment. The yield followed this trend sweet potato < egusi – melon < groundnut. From the above yield result of the various types of low growing crop, a prima facie prove has been established that they have added food advantage, besides their primary functions of suppressing weed as a cover crop and the fixing of atmospheric nitrogen into the soil by groundnut type of low growing crop. It is hereby recommended that these plants can be planted with other food crops as they have added food value besides their primary function of suppressing weeds as well as fixing atmospheric nitrogen into the soil.
Keywords: Population, fertilizer application, yield, low growing crops.