Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-r5zm4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-05T22:41:52.134Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Competitive Effects of a Short Duration, Bush Type Cowpea When Intercropped With Cotton in Zimbabwe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 October 2008

M. Natarajan  and
D. M. Naik
M. Natarajan
Affiliation:
Department of Research and Specialist Services, PO Box 8100, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe
D. M. Naik
Affiliation:
Department of Research and Specialist Services, PO Box 8100, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Cowpea is an important supplement to the staple diet of maize in Zimbabwe, but its productivity is poor beacuse of pest infestations. This paper reports the results of experiments conducted over two crop seasons on the feasibility of producing a grain crop of cowpea intercropped with cotton to take advantage of cotton's slow initial growth and of drift from insecticides applied to it. Intercropping reduced the yield of cotton by between 11.5 and 73% depending on the type of season and the treatments applied, but the reduction was compensated by the yield of cowpea. The yield reduction was greater in the drier first season and with simultaneous planting of the two crops. Cowpea consistently performed better as an intercrop than as a sole crop, mainly because of the protection it received from the insecticides applied to the cotton.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 28 , Issue 4 , October 1992 , pp. 409 - 416
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Anthony, K. R. M. & Willimott, S. G. (1957). Cotton interplanting experiments in the south west Sudan. Empire journal of Experimental Agriculture 25:29–36.Google Scholar
Birajdar, J. M., Shinde, B. B. & Gaushal, C. H. (1978). Economics of intercropping in Hybrid-4 cotton under irrigated conditions. Research Bulletin of the Marathwada Agricultural University 2:148–149.Google Scholar
Devotta, A. D. & Choudappan, S. R. (1975). A note on mixed cropping in dry land cotton (Bharathi). Madras Agricultural journal 62:234–236.Google Scholar
Giri, A. N. & Upadhyay, U. C. (1980). Studies on planting pattern, intercropping and nitrogen economy of H4 cotton under rainfed conditions. Indian journal of Agronomy 25:71–76.Google Scholar
Mafra, R. C. & Cardoso, M.J. (1988). Intercropping cowpea in the semi-arid tropics of Brazil. In Cowpea Research in Brazil, 133–152 (Eds Watt, E. E. and Pereira de Araújo, J. P.). Nigeria:IITA/EMBRAPA.Google Scholar
Muleba, N. & Ezumah, H. C. (1985). Optimizing cultural practices for cowpea in Africa. In Cowpea Research and Utilization, 289–295 (Eds Singh, S. R. and Rachie, K. O.). New York/London:John Wiley and Sons.Google Scholar
Nagre, K. T. (1979). Studies on the effect of intercropping on the growth, yield and economics of rainfed American cotton. Indian journal of Agronomy 24:390–394.Google Scholar
Naik, D. M., Venge, O. Z. & Nleya, T. (1987). Production and uses of cowpea (Vigna unguiculala (L.) Walp.) in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Agricultural journal. (In press.)Google Scholar
Reid, M. G. (1977). The early agriculture of Matabeleland and Mashonaland. Rhodesia Agrimltural journal 74:97–102.Google Scholar
Varma, M. P. & Kanke, M. S. (1969). Selection of intercrops for cotton in India. Experimental Agriculture 5:223–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar