Sorghum/Millet Mixture as Affected by Crop Proportion and Sorghum Cultivar in a Semi-Arid Environment

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted at the Lake Chad Research Institute Farm
Maiduguri (11º 54' N, 13º 05' E, 336m above mean sea level) in 1997 and 1998 cropping seasons to determine the productivity of Sorghum/Millet intercrop. Four sorghum cultivars (ICSV111, NR71182, NR71176 and ICSV400) and three crop proportions (1:1, 2:1 and 1:2 Sorghum/Millet) were compared in factorial combinations using a randomized complete block design. The study revealed that sorghum cultivar had no
significant effect on millet plant height but significantly influenced sorghum plant height. Sorghum genotype ICSV111 matured significantly earlier than other cultivars in the mixture. Intercropping reduced sorghum and millet grain yield in both years. Sorghum cultivar ICSV111 produced the highest mean grain yield in the mixture. Crop proportion (1:2) Sorghum/Millet out yielded 1:1 and 2:1 Sorghum/Millet in terms of millet grain yield in both seasons. Both sorghum and millet grain yields increased significantly as their proportion in the mixture increased. The combination of sorghum
cultivar NR71176 with millet produced the highest mean grain yield of millet. This is ideal for Sudan Savanna where the growing season is about 90 days. The highest land equivalent ratio of 49 and 60 percent were obtained at 2:1 and 1:2 crop proportions in 1997 and 1998, respectively.