Influence of spatial arrangements on performance of a Yam-Maize-Pepper intercrop

English

Spatial arrangement of plants is critical in determining the growth and yield of intercrops. The productivity of three spatial arrangements of yam (Dioscorea rotundata var. Denteh), maize (Zea mays var. Obaatanpa) and pepper (Capsicum frutescens var. Kokuromotie) in intercrop was studied at Kintampo in the forest savanna transition zone of Ghana from 1996 to 1997. The intercrop row arrangements were one row of yam alternate with one row of maize/pepper relay, two rows of yam alternate with two rows of maize/pepper relay and one row of yam-pepper alternate with one row of maize. There were also the sole crop arrangements of yam, maize and pepper. Yields of the intercropped components were lower than their sole crops. However, the intercrops were more productive than the sole crops as shown in the Land Equivalent Ratios (LER) which ranged from 1.86 to 2.3 [ and Crop Performance ratio (CPR) from 1.44 to 1 .69. The competitive ratios for the crops showed that yam was more competitive followed by maize and pepper but the influence of the dominated crops (maize and pepper) on the intercrop performance was not significant since the population of yam in all treatments was kept constant. A consequence of the intercrop competition was that maize and pepper components showed differences in plant height and the extent of leaf conductance was also higher than the sole crops. The result of the study showed that one row of yam/pepper: one row of maize, planted the same time, proved superior to the other two spatial arrangements where pepper came in as a relay crop

Manu-Aduening, J. A.; Boa-Amponsem, K.