Response of a maize or dry bean intercrop to maize density and dry bean arrangement under rainfed conditions

Table 4. The effect of maize density, dry bean arrangement and their interaction on the biomass, grain yield and
harvest index of maize.
2009/10 growing season 2010/11 growing season
Maize density plant ha-1
Biomass Grain yield Harvest Index Biomass Grain yield Harvest Index
(kg/ha) (kg/ha) (HI)
(kg/ha) (kg/ha) (HI)
37000 (M1) 2314.9 a 1318.4 a 0.58 a 2569.4 a 1388.8 a 0.54 a
24700 (M2) 2407.4 a 1221.7 a 0.52 a 2523.2 a 1077.1 b 0.44 b
18500 (M3) 1666.7 b 640.4 b 0.38 b 1574.1 b 656.5 c 0.42 b
LSD (0.05) 470.5 218.13 0.09 544.87 243.92 0.07
Dry bean arrangement
1 row of dry bean between maize 1990.7 1121.0 0.50 2114.2 921.9 b 0.44
rows (L1)
2 rows of dry bean between 2268.5 999.4 0.48 2330.3 1159.7 a 0.49
maize rows (L2)
LSD (0.05) ns ns ns ns 199.16 ns
Dry bean Maize density
arrangement plant ha-1
M1 2129.6 ab 1219.8 a 0.57 a 2222.2 ab 1172.5 b 0.53 a
L1
L2
M2 2175.9 ab 1147.4 a 0.54 a 2546.3 a 938.1 bc 0.37 c
M3 1666.7 b 630.9 b 0.38 b 1574.1 b 655.0 c 0.42 bc
M1 2500.0 a 1417.1 a 0.57 a 2916.7 a 1605.0 a 0.54 a
M2 2638.9 a 1295.9 a 0.49 ab 2500.0 a 1216.1 b 0.50 ab
M3 1666.7 b 649.9 b 0.39 b 1574.1 b 658.0 c 0.42 bc
LSD (0.05) 665.33 308.48 0.12 770.56 344.95 0.095
CV% 17.17 15.99 14.87 19.06 18.22 11.25
ns = non significant.
Table 5. Cob height, plant height, and number of plants/m 2 of maize as influenced by dry bean arrangement,
maize density and their interaction.
2009/10 growing season 2010/11 growing season
Maize density plant ha-1 Cob height Plant height Plants/ m 2 Cob height Plant height Plants/m 2
(m) (m)
(m) (m)
37000 (M1) 0.59 1.61 3.33 a 0.55 b 1.69 a 3.39 a
24700 (M2) 0.64 1.62 2.1 b 0.62 a 1.65 ab 2.24 b
18500 (M3) 0.59 1.54 1.5 c 0.57 ab 1.58 b 1.62 c
LSD (0.05) ns ns 0.40 0.05 0.08 0.29
Dry bean arrangement
1 row of dry bean between 0.62 1.64 a 2.22 0.55 b 1.64 2.28 b
maize rows (L1)
2 rows of dry bean between 0.59 1.54 b 2.44 0.61 a 1.65 2.56 a
maize rows (L2)
LSD (0.05) ns 0.07 ns 0.04 ns 0.24
Dry bean Maize density
arrangement plant ha-1
M1 0.59 1.63 ab 3.15 a 0.52 bc 1.68 a 3.18 b
L1
L2
M2 0.67 1.69 a 2.13 b 0.61 a 1.69 a 2.08 cd
M3 0.60 1.59 abc 1.39 c 0.51 c 1.55 b 1.57 e
M1 0.59 1.59 abc 3.52 a 0.59 ab 1.72 a 3.60 a
M2 0.62 1.53 bc 2.17 b 0.63 a 1.61 ab 2.40 c
M3 0.58 1.49 c 1.38 bc 0.63 a 1.61 a 1.67 de
LSD (0.05) ns 0.12 0.58 0.07 0.11 0.42
CV % 14.64 4.22 13.65 6.92 3.81 9.48
ns = non significant.
Dry bean arrangement and maize density interaction
significantly influenced number of pods per plant,
100 seeds weight and grain yield in 2010/11(Table 2).
The highest dry bean yield was recorded from double
row arrangement and 24700 plants/ha of maize in
2010/11 and this was statistically similar to the yield
of the double row arrangement under 18 500
plants/ha maize. The lowest grain yield was obtained
by the single row arrangement under 18 500
plants/ha maize. This was unexpected since this
treatment combination posed the least competition
for growth factors. In 2009/10 all dry bean X maize
Nthabiseng et al.
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