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A field experiment was carried out for two seasons (03- 04 and 04- 05) at Elrawakeeb Research Station west of Umdorman State and the Experimental farm of the faculty of Agriculture at Shambat respectively with the objectives of studying the effects of intercropping with three legumes (cowpea Vigna unguiculata Walp. L., pigeonpea Cajanus cajan L. and groundnut Arachis hypogaea L.) and phosphorus application on growth and yield of pearl millet (Pennisetum gluacum L. R. Br.).
The experiments were arranged in split- plot design with four replicates. The treatments were comprised of phosphorus at the level of P0 (as control) and 50kg P2 O5 ha-1 as P1 designated to the main plots and the intercropping treatments to the sub plots. The intercropping treatments were sole pearl millet (M), sole cowpea (L1), sole pigeonpea (L2), sole groundnut (L3) and three planting patterns of pearl millet intercropped with each of the three legumes mainly, alternate rows (ArL1, ArL2, ArL3), alternate holes (AhL1, AhL2, AhL3) and in the same hole (ShL1, ShL2, ShL3).
The results showed that intercropping tended to reduce vegetative growth of pearl millet at Elrawakeeb site with the effect being insignificant on shoot fresh, root fresh and root dry weights. At Shambat site, intercropping significantly increased the shoot dry weight and significantly reduced the number of leaves per plant. Addition of phosphorus had no significant effect on most vegetative growth parameters at Elrawakeeb site, with the exception of number of tillers, leaves and root fresh weight. At Shambat site addition of phosphorus significantly affected shoot dry weight, root fresh weight and root dry weight. Intercropping and phosphorus application had no significant effect on days to start of flowering, days to 50% flowering , days to maturity, 1000- seed weight, seed yield per plant, seed and leaf phosphorus content and leaf and seed protein content, but they increased the final seed yield character at Elrawakeeb site. At Shambat site intercropping did not significantly affect reproductive attributes, 1000- seed weight and final seed yield, but it increased the seed yield per plant. Moreover addition of phosphorus had no significant effect on 1000- seed weight, seed yield per plant, but the final seed yield, seed and leaf phosphorus and protein content tended to increase with this aspect.
Intercropping depressed vegetative growth of the three legumes at both sites with the effect being significant sometimes. At Elrawakeeb, addition of phosphorus had no significant effect on plant height, shoot fresh and dry weight and root dry weight, but the effect was significant on number of branches, number of leaves and root fresh weight. At Shambat addition of phosphorus had no significant effect on plant height, number of branches, number of leaves, shoot fresh weight, but the effect was significant on root dry weight and root fresh weight. Intercropping and phosphorus application had no significant effect on days to start of flowering, days to 50% flowering, days to maturity of the three legumes at both sites. Intercropping tended to reduce number of pods/ plant, number of seeds/ pod, 100- seed weight, seed yield per plant and final seed yield of the three legumes at both sites, with the effect being significant sometimes. Addition of phosphorus had significant effect on number of pods of cowpea and groundnut while it had no significant effect on number of seeds/ pod and 100 – seed weight of the three legumes. Addition of phosphorus had significant effect on seed yield per plant and final seed yield of the three legumes, seed phosphorus and protein content of pigeonpea and leaf phosphorus content of cowpea and groundnut at Elrawakeeb site. At Shambat site, application of phosphorus had no significant effect on the seed and leaf phosphorus and protein content with the exception of cowpea seed protein content.
With few exceptions, the interaction between intercropping treatments and phosphorus on most vegetative and reproductive attributes, yield and yield components and chemical composition of all crops was not significant at both sites.
The land equivalent ratio for all the intercropping systems was greater than one ranging from 1.19 – 1.95 at Elrawakeeb site and 1.14 – 1.77 at Shambat site, indicating that intercropping was more efficient than sole cropping in utilizing the available resources and resulted in higher productivity. |
