Cowpea-cereal intercrop productivity in the Sudan savanna Zone of Nigeria as affected by planting pattern, crop Variety and pest management

Abstract

Cow pe a ( V i g na unguiculata ( L) W a lp.l pr o ducti vi t y in th e We st A frican su b-r egion is low du e to attacks from  i n sect pe sts;, inef fi c i e nt cro pping s yste m and low yi eld po t en t ia l o f l o c al variet ie s. Theref ore , to i n c r e as e  pro du c tiv it y , it is n e ce ss ary to devel op suitable ag rono mic pra ctic es a nd pl a nting arra nge m e nt tha t will m ax imize  t he p r od ucti vity of the imp ro ved var ieties available : fr om research i n st it u tes . A tr ia l c o m pris i n g t e n cow pea c er eals  c r o p pin g patt ern s, two cowp e a varieties and two spray tr eatm ents was co n ducted in the Sud an S av anna  of N ige ria in 1 999 and 2000 . The cr o pping p attern s in volv e d diff eren t ro w - to-row co mbi na tion s of cowp ea with  m illet ( Pe nnisetum glaucum L. R . B r . ) o r sor ghum (Sorghum bicolo r ) . In sec t ic id e s pra yin g increase d cow pe a  grain yi eld, thre shin g perc enta ge, h a rvest i n de x, gross mo n e tary r e tu rns sign ifica nt ly un der all pl an ting p a ttern s  and va rietie s, b ut h ad no s ig nifi can t ef fect on g rowth param ete rs . Sol e c ow pea produ c ed significantly h ig h e r gross  m o n et ary r e t u rn s than othe r trea t m e nt s . Cow pea -sorg hum s ystem s had h ig her p r od uctivity than c o wp e a - m illet  syst em s. Gro s s retu rns on t ota l pro duc e fro m sole cro p cow pea wi th insecti c ide spr ay w er e a lmo st do ub l ed of th e  return s from s ole cereals. O ve ra l l. 2 ro ws of so rghu m: 4 row s of cowpea ( 2 S :4C) system u s ing i m prov ed co wpea  with i ns ect icide spray, wa s id enti fie d th e mo st pr o misin g c on si de ring t he soci o - e con om ic condition s of th e  reso urc e po or farm e rs. Ke y Wo rds : C roppin g syst ems , Ni ge r ia. Vign a unguiculata