Performance of pigeonpea and its finger millet and sorghum intercrops

Abstract

Field trials were conducted to determine the optimum plant population and spatial arrangement of finger millet/pigeonpea and sorghum/pigeonpea intercropping systems, identify the intercrop compatibility of finger millet and sorghum with short- and medium-duration pigeonpea, and evaluate insecticide application strategies for the control of pod borers, pod sucking bugs and podfly on pigeonpea. The experiments were conducted at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo (MUARIK) and Ngetta experimental station during the second rains season of 1997 and first rains season of 1998. Theoretical planting densities (2.1, 2.8, 4.2, 4.8, 5.6, 8.3, 11.1, and 16.7 plants m-2 ) for pigeonpea, (8.3, 11.1, 16.7, and 33.3 plants m-2 ) for finger millet and 5.6 plants m-2 for sorghum intercrops were studied using KAT 60/8, ICPL 87091 and ICP 6927 pigeonpea varieties, Pese 1 finger millet variety and Seredo sorghum variety. Spraying against major pigeonpea insect pests was carried out at vegetative stage, vegetative to pod maturity, flower bud initiation to pod formation, and pod formation to pod maturity. In the pigeonpea/finger millet intercrop system, optimal combinations in terms of higher land equivalent ratio (LER) values were given by 16.7 plants m-2 of ICPL 87091 and 8.3 plants m-2 of Pese 1, 4.2 plants m-2 of KAT 60/8 and 33.3 plants m-2 of Pese 1. Planting of pigeonpea and finger millet or pigeonpea and sorghum in a 2:2 row arrangement gave higher total LER values than in the other arrangements and thus, was found to be an optimal row arrangement. Spraying pigeonpea cultivars ICPL 87091 and KAT 60/8 against major insect pests at flower bud initiation to pod formation and at pod formation to pod maturity, respectively, produced significantly (P<0.05) better yields than unsprayed and was more cost effective than the other spraying regimes.



Key Words: Cajanus cajan, insect pest management, intercropping, plant density, spatial arrangement, sole cropping, yield advantage


(African Crop Science Journal: 2000 8(1): 49-62)