Evaluation of maize Zea mays L cultivars and density for dryland maizebean intercropping 08

Abstract

Four maize cultivars (SC401, SC501, SC601, and ZMS607) at two populations (37000 plants and 24000 plants ha -1 ) were evaluated on maize-bean intercrop performance in Chinyika Resettlement Area and at Domboshava Training Centre in Zimbabwe during the 1996-97 and 1997-98 rainy seasons. Maize and bean were simultaneously planted in the same row. Maize density, cultivars, and their interactions significantly (P < 0.01) affected maize and bean grain yields in both seasons. Reduction of the maize plant population from 37 000 plants to 24 000 plants ha -1 reduced maize yields by 69%, but increased bean yields by 37%. During both seasons, cv. SC601 produced the highest bean yields of 508 kg and 623 kg ha -1 in the respective seasons. The maize-bean intercrop with maize cvs SC501 and SC601 at 90 cm x 30 cm in the 1996-97 season and cv. SC601 at 90 cm x 30 cm in the 1997-98 season produced the highest gross returns of U.S. $768.33, U.S. $782.25, and U.S. $349.84 ha -1 , respectively.