Relative time of planting and spatial arrangement for soybean/maize intercropping

English

Soybean/maize intercropping was studied at Fumesua and Pokuase in 1992. The objectives of the study were to determine: (i) the growth and physiology of soybean intercropped with maize, and (ii) the effects of relative planting time and spatial arrangement on productivity of soybean/maize Intercrop. Intercropping reduced soybean yields by an average of 66 per cent at Fumesua and 35 per cent at Pokuase, due to reduction in leaf area per plant, dry matter per plant and number of pods per plant. The highest yield advantage of 51 per cent was achieved by simultaneous planting at Pokuase because of high relative yields of both soybean (0.81) and maize (0.70). In fumesua, soybean/maizc intercropping was more productive than sole cropping only when soybean was planted 10 days after maize with 22 per cent yield advantage. This intercrop also had the highest leaf area ratio (LAR) of 21 cm2 g-l Spatial arrangement of soybean between the 90 cm rows of maize was not as important as relative planting time in influencing productivity of the soybean/maize intercrop.

Ennin, S. A.; Asafu-Agyei, J. N.; Dapaah, H. K.; Asafo-Adjei, B.