Performance of Maize (Zea mays [L.]) as Influenced by Row Arrangement and Cow dung Rates Grown in Intercrop with Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus [L.]) in Sudan Savanna

Abstract

Field trials were carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria during the 2014 and 2015 rainy seasons to study the performance of maize in maize/watermelon intercrop under varied row arrangements and cow dung rates in a Sudan Savanna Agro-ecology. The treatments consisted of factorial combinations of three row arrangements of maize: watermelon (1:1,1:2 and 2:1) and five levels of cow dung rates (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20t per ha) laid out in a split plot design and replicated three times. Cow dung was assigned to the main plots while row arrangements were assigned to the sub plots. The parameters of maize studied were: number of cobs per plant, cob length, cob diameter, 100 grain weight and grain yield per ha. The results showed that 1:2 row arrangement gave significantly greater cob diameter of maize. While 2:1 row arrangement gave significantly higher maize grain yield per ha. Application of 10t cow dung per ha to the mixture was found to be optimum for the maize grain yield per ha. The interaction or combination of 2:1 row arrangement and 10t cow dung per ha was optimum for the grain yield per ha. Based on the results of the present study, 2:1 row arrangement with application of 10t cow dung per ha should be adopted for growing of maize in intercrop with watermelon in the Sudan Savanna environment.