Effect of wedding regime on Crop Yield in cassava-fluted pumpkin intercrop in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

…Field trials were carried out in the 2001 and 2002 growing seasons at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Agricultural Science, Rivers State College of Education, Ndele Campus (Latitude 4o58'N and longitude 6 o45'E) to determine the effect of weeding regimes and crop population on a cassava-fluted pumpkin intercrop. Cassava planted at 10,000 plants ha-1 mixed with fluted pumpkin at 40,000 and 26,667 plants ha -1 with 3 weeding regimes: 3 weeks after planting (WAP); 3 and 8 WAP; and 3, 8 and 12 WAP were evaluated. The results showed that cassava (10,000 plants ha-1) intercropped with fluted pumpkin (40,000 plants ha -1 ) weeded at 3, 8 and 12 WAP produced the best weed control and the least weed dry weight. Greater weights of cassava tuber (22.40 and 24.53 t ha -1 in 2001 and 2002 respectively) and fresh fluted pumpkin leaves (110.1 and 111.2 t ha -1 in 2001 and 2002 respectively) were obtained with weeding carried out at 3 and 8 WAP which were not significantly different from those in weeding regimes of 3, 8 and 12 WAP at a mixture of cassava and fluted pumpkin (26,667 plants ha -1 ) in the two growing seasons. Nigerian Journal of Horticultural Science Vol. 10 2005: pp. 75-81