Effects of Groundnut and Green Manure legumes Intercropped to Maize on Yields of the Intercrop Maize, Weed and Moisture of Black Clay Soil

           

Suparb Buranakarn¹, Amnat Suwanarit¹, Jarong Rungchuang² and Somporn Thongdaeng²

1.                          Department of Soil Science, Faculty of  Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900.

2.                          National Corn and Sorghum Research Center, Kasetsart University, Pakchong, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

…………………………….

 

 A field experiment was conducted on Takli soil series (Typic calciustolls) in a farmer’s field in Packchong, Nakhon Ratchasima, to examine effects of intercropping groundnut and green manure legumes to maize on the yields of the intercrop maize, weed incidence and moisture status of the soil.  The green-manure legumes studied were thorn-less creeping mimosa, rice bean, sword bean sesbania, lab lab, and pigeon pea.  The legumes were intercrop to maize grown in double row system with plant population comparable to the sole maize grown with recommended spacing.

            The following conclusions were drawn from the results of the experiment: 1) All of the intercropping systems produced lower maize yields than the sole maize system.  2) Among the intercrop systems, the maize-mimosa and maize-pigeon pea intercrop systems were best in maize yield production.  They gave maize grain yields about 94% of that the sole maize system.  3) The maize-lab lab intercrop system produced the lowest maize yield that was about 52% of that of the sole maize system.  4) Intercropping rice bean, sword bean, sesbania, groundnut and lab lab to maize reduced weed incidence at the early stage of maize growth whereas the intercrop mimosa and pigeon pea did not affect weed incidence.  5) All of the intercrop legumes, except pigeon pea, reduced evapotranspiration of the soil moisture.  Pigeon pea did not affect the evapotranspiration.

 

 

 

Amnat1