Effect of intra-row spacing on the yield components and yield of soybean in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

A field trial was carried out during the wet season of 2023 at the Research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture College of Agriculture and  Environmental Sciences, Kaduna State University, Kafanchan campus to study the effect of intra-row spacing on the yield components  and yield of soybean in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The treatment consisted of ten (10) intra-row spacings (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70,  80, 90, and 100cm) laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The inter-row spacing was 50cm. Each  plot consisted of three 400cm-long ridges, with an alley of 100cm between plots and 100cm between replications. The results indicated  that intra-row spacing significantly affected the height, number of branches per plant, number of leaves per plant, number of pods per  plant, 100-grain weight, and grain yield of soybean. The 10cm intra-row spacing had significantly higher grain yield than the other  treatments, except the 40cm intra-row spacing. The 10cm intra-row spacing was recommended for farmers in the study area as it has the  likely advantage of suppressing weeds and leaving more land available for cultivation.