Effects of different companion crops and increasing NPK fertilizer levels on the performance of maize (<i>zea mays</i> l.) in southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, during 2002 – 2003 cropping seasons to appraise the effects of different companion crops, increasing NPK fertilizer levels, and the interaction between these two treatments on the growth and yield indices of maize. The design was a split-plot arrangement, laid out in a randomized complete block with three replications. Companion crops constituted the main-plot treatment, namely: sole cropped maize (control), maize/melon, maize / cassava and maize / cassava / cocoyam. NPK fertilizer was the sub-plot factor, applied at five levels, namely: no fertilizer (control), 100, 200, 300 and 400 kgNPK ha-1. The results obtained indicated that there were significant differences (P<0.05) between the treatments in the growth and yield parameters of maize. The mean effects of companion crops on maize leaf area were 0.61, 0.60, 0.60 and 0.52 m2/plant for sole maize, maize / melon, maize / cassava and maize / cassava / cocoyam, respectively. The two – year average values indicated that NPK fertilizer significantly increased maize leaf area from 0.33 m2/plant for control to 0.60, 0.86, 1.05 and 1.19 m2/plant for 100, 200, 300 and 400 kgNPK ha-1, respectively. The mean effects of companion crops on maize grain yield were 1.87, 1.92, 1.89 and 1.75 t ha-1 for sole maize, maize/melon, maize/cassava and maize/cassava / cocoyam, respectively. NPK fertilizer significantly increased maize grain yield from 0.72 t ha-1 for control to 1.92, 2.11, 2.62 and 2.89 t ha-1 for 100, 200, 300 and 400 kgNPK ha-1, respectively. Companion crops significantly interacted with NPK fertilizer in the growth and yield components of maize. Treatment combination (400 kgNPK ha-1 + sole maize) gave the highest values of growth and yield indices of maize in both years.

Keywords: companion, fertilizer, performance, maize

Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 7 (1) 2008: pp. 65-69