Effect of Planting Pattern on Growth and Yield of Tomato-Cowpea Intercrops

ABSTRACT Field studies were conducted in 1998 and 1999 at Ondo, Nigeria, to determine the effect of planting patterns on growth and yield of tomato-cowpea in intercropping. Planting pattern affected vegetative growth and yields of both tomatoes and cowpeas significantly. Growth and grim yields of cowpea were significantly depressed in all the crop combinations especially when paired rows of tomato were intercropped with a row of cowpeas (TC 2:1). Reducing the proportion of tomatoes in the cropping patterns improved performance of cowpea. Cowpea performed best when a row of tomato was alternated with paired rows of cowpea (TC 1:2). Growth and yield of tomato in the 2:1 planting pattern were greater than those in the 1:1 and 1:2 patterns. The yield advantage in terms of Relative Yield Total (RYT) ranged from 2.0–22.0% among the treatments. The highest RYT value of 1.22 was obtained when paired rows of tomato were intercropped with a row of cowpea.