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Effect of Okra Planting Density and Spatial Arrangement in Intercrop with Maize on the Growth and Yield of the Component Species
Author(s) -
Muoneke C. O.,
Asiegbu J. E.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of agronomy and crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.095
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-037X
pISSN - 0931-2250
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-037x.1997.tb00518.x
Subject(s) - sowing , intercropping , agronomy , yield (engineering) , leaf area index , point of delivery , field experiment , mathematics , biology , metallurgy , materials science
The effects of three okra planting densities (28 000; 56 000 and 111 000 plants ha 1 ) intercropped within or between maize rows were investigated in two field trials during the 1990 and 1991 wet seasons at Nsukka. The plant height and the leaf area index (LAI) increased as the planting density increased in sole or intercropped okra while the number of branches per plant decreased with increasing okra planting density. The height of maize plants also increased as okra planting density increased but the LAI decreased. Intercropping reduced the yield and yield components (number and weight of pods per plant) of okra and maize (number of cobs, cob length and 100‐grain weight). Increasing okra planting density reduced the sole and the intercropped okra and also the maize intercrop yield by reducing the number of pods and grains as well as the pod and grain size, respectively. Assessment of the productivity ofthe mixtures showed that the highest yield advantage (35%) of growing okra and maize together was obtained at 28000 okra plants ha 1 while the highest monetary return was realized at the highest okra planting density of 111000 plants ha 1 intercropped between maize rows. The patterns of row arrangement did not have effect on the growth, yield and yield components of the mixtures.