Biological weed control efficiency and productivity of cassava-cucumber intercropping system in Umudike, southeastern Nigeria
Abstract
The concern about the control of increasing weed populations without the use of herbicides has limited farmer‘s ability to reduce cost of production and protect the ecosystem while in the business of farming. We investigated the biological weed control efficiency of cassava-cucumber intercropping system by and the productivity of the system using varied cucumber population densities (20,000; 30,000 and 40,000 plants/ha) and two cassava genotypes (NR 8082 and TME 419) in the southeastern part of Nigeria over two consecutive growing seasons (2012 and 2013). Result of the two experimental seasons revealed that at all record dates in both seasons cucumber plant regardless of population density, under monocultures and intercrops, significantly reduced weed population density and dry weight (g m-2) relative to monocultures of each of the cassava genotypes used. The highest cucumber population density (40,000 plants ha-1) under monoculture and intercrop gave the largest leaf area index and fruit yield (t ha-1). No significant treatment effect was observed on cassava fresh root yield (t ha-1). Assessments of system productivity by means of Land equivalent ratio (LER) and Area harvest equivalent ratio (AHER) indicated yield advantages in the 2012 and 2013 trials.
Keywords: Biological weed control, Cucumber, Cassava, Intercropping and productivity
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