last final thesis of umer

of ears per plant in intercropped maize might be due to the reduction in the ear leaf photosynthesis
due to competition for growth resources with cowpea. With regards to cowpea density, the highest
number of ears per plant (1.667) was obtained from maize intercropped with 50% of cowpea
population while the lowest number of ears per plant (1.343) was obtained from maize
intercropped with 100% of cowpea population which is statically no different from 75%population
density of cowpea (Table 9). This might be due to increased inter competition for growth resources
from the associated cowpea as its density increased. This result is inconformity with Teshome et
al, (2015) who reported that cropping system and soybean densities cause difference on number
of ear per maize plant in maize/soybean intercropping.
Thousand kernel weight (g)
1000 kernel weight was significantly (P<0.05) affected by cowpea population density while
cowpea varieties, interaction (variety and density) and cropping system showed non-significance
difference (Appendix Table 3). The highest thousand kernel weight (207.5 g) was obtained from
maize intercropped with 50% of cowpea population while intercropping with 100% cowpea
population gave the lowest thousand kernel weight (162.2 g) (Table 9). This might be due to
increased competition for growth resources from the associated cowpea as its density increased.
In conformity with this result, Biruk (2007) reported that 25% common bean planted with 100%
sorghum planting density gave the highest mean 1000 kernel weight of the sorghum component.
In contrast, Tilahuun (2002) reported that planting density and planting patterns of beans had no
significant effect on 1000 kernel weight of the associated maize. In agreement with this finding,
Wogayehu (2005) reported non-significant effect of the associated bean varieties on thousandkernel
weight of maize.
42