Response of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and Onion (Allium cepa L.) to Different Intercrops in Sudan Savanna Ecological Zone of Nigeria

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Bayero University, Kano (BUK) and National Horticultural Research Institute, Bagauda Sub- station, Kano during the 2015 wet season. The objectives were to investigate the growth and yields of tomato and onion to different intercrops, as three intercropping of the two crops and their sole crops [three rows of tomato and three rows of onion (3:3), four rows of tomato and two rows of onion (4:2), two rows of tomato and four rows of onion (2:4), sole tomato and sole onion]. The treatments were arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Vegetative growth characters and yield were measured and data were subjected to analysis of variance. Intercropping significantly affected some of the growth characters, plant height, chlorophyll content, tomato fruit and onion bulb diameter, tomato mean fruit and onion bulb weight and yield of both crops. Land equivalent ratio indicated yield disadvantage of tomato and onion intercrop (LER <1) at both BUK and Bagauda.