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Cassava‐Cowpea and Cassava‐Peanut Intercropping. III. Nutrient Concentrations and Removal 1
Author(s) -
Mason S. C.,
Leihner D. E.,
Vorst J. J.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1986.00021962007800030009x
Subject(s) - intercropping , vigna , agronomy , manihot esculenta , sowing , arachis hypogaea , nutrient , cropping system , biology , crop , arachis , cropping , agriculture , ecology
Little is known about the influence of intercropping cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz) with cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] or peanut ( Arachis hypoguea L.) on nutrient concentrations of plant tissue or nutrient removal by the crops. The objectives of this study were to (i) compare the nutrient concentrations in plant parts of cassava, cowpea, and peanut in intercropping systems to those in sole cropping systems, and (ii) determine uptake of N, P, and K of cassava‐cowpea and cassava‐peanut intercropping systems as compared with the sole cropping systems. Cassava, cowpea, and peanut were grown as sole crops and intercrops on a Typic Dystropept soil at Santander de Quilichao, Colombia, in 1981 and 1982. Intercropping with cowpea resulted in 0.8, 0.6, and 0.3 g kg −1 lower P concentration [P], and 5.2,4.9, and 2.9 kg 1 lower [N] in cassava stems, leaves, and storage roots, than resulted from sole‐cropped cassava 50 days after planting. Intercropping had no influence on [N], [P], and [K] of cassava at later harvest dates or of cowpea at any harvest date. Similar results occurred when cassava was intercropped with peanut, although peanut was a less vigorous competitor with cassava for P than was cowpea. The cassava‐cowpea and cassava‐peanut intercropping systems removed 3.0 to 7.5 g m 2 more N, 0.30 to 0.47 g m 2 more P, and 2.5 to 5.1 g m more K than sole‐cropped cassava. Results suggest that these intercropping systems remove more nutrients than comparable sole crops, which leads to more rapid mining of natural soil fertility or the need for higher fertilizer application rates.