Performances of Maize Grown as Intercrop with Cowpea under Different Planting Patterns

Abstract

A field experiment conducted in two different agro ecologies, Ibadan and Ilora in southwest Nigeria, explored the benefits of intercropping and the impact of varying plant populations on crop yield. The study focused on three different maize varieties (Quality protein maize, high protein maize, and the farmer's variety SUWAN-1-SR-Y) intercropped with Cowpea (Ife brown) under different cropping patterns (0.9x0.4 m and 1.0x0.5 m). The experiment was carried out in split design using randomized complete block design (RCBD) (r=4). The results of the experiment demonstrated that the performance of maize when intercropped with cowpea at wider spacing (1.0x0.5 m) outperformed maize planted at closer spacing (0.9x0.4 m) in both locations. This finding suggests that the wider spacing between crops had a positive impact on crop growth and yield in both agro ecologies. The study revealed that the farmer's variety, SUWAN-1-SR-Y, exhibited superior growth and grain yield compared to the other improved maize varieties when grown both as intercrops and as sole crops. This finding highlights the resilience and adaptability of the farmer's variety, which performed well in different cropping systems. The research noted variations in maize yield between the two locations, with Ibadan recording higher yields compared to Ilora. This difference in yield could be attributed to variations in climatic conditions between the two regions which significantly influence maize performance. The results obtained indicate that intercropping maize with cowpea at wider plant spacing (1.0x 0.5m) enhanced maize performance compared to closer spacing (0.9x 0.4m).