Evaluation of Variety, Cropping Pattern and Plant Density on Growth and Yield Production of Grain Sorghum -Cowpea under Limited Water Supply Condition Growth, yield and yield component characters of Sorghum
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: An intercropping experiment of sorghum/cowpea intercrops was carried out in summer season of 2009 and 2010 at Agricultural and Research Station, College of Food Science and Agriculture, King Saud University.The main objective of the study was to evaluate the growth and yield potential of sorghum/cowpea intercrops over sole cropping pattern.The experiments included 18 treatments three sorghum varieties, i.e., two semi dwarfs (Pioneer and S-1007) and a tall one local variety (Shahlaa), theses varieties were planted in two cropping patterns as solid culture at the densities of 200, 300 and 400 10 3 plants/hectare for semi dwarfs varieties, whereas tall variety at 160,240 and 320 10 3 plants/hectare.These densities for the three varieties are equal to 100, 150 and 200 % of the solid recommended culture .The intercropping was alternating two rows of grain sorghum with other rows of cowpea (2 & 2) pattern.The data obtained indicated that sorghum plants, when intercropped with cowpea, exhibited greater potentiality and recorded higher values of most of the studied criteria viz., plant height, number of leaves per plant, stem diameter, leaf area, dry matter accumulation and grain yield /plant .Grain yield per hectare was lower in intercropping pattern than solid pattern.The increase in grain yield per plant and plant density could not compensate the decrease of the area occupied by the crop under solid culture.
DOI: 10.9790/2380-0232429
Language: English
Subfield: Agronomy and Crop Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4240040650