Soil moisture dynamics and components performance in relay intercropping of tephrosia vogeli1 and maize in semi-arid Gairo, Tanzania
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Date
2005
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
A study investigating the effect of time of planting and spacing of Tephrosia on soil
moisture and components performance in relay intercropping with maize were conducted
at Gairo, Tanzania in three seasons. A split-plot design with main plot factor as time of
planting having levels 0, 2 and 4 weeks after maize and spacing as minor plots factor with
levels 30 x 90 (Tv30), 60 x 90 (Tv60) and 90 x 90 (Tv90) cm (intercrop and monoculture
Tephrosia vogelii) plus control (TvO), was laid in the first season. For second and third
seasons, a split- split-plot design was laid, where spacing treatment was split to two levels
of fertilizer (without and with half and full recommended doses of N and P respectively).
In the first season, soil moisture was assessed within 100 cm soil depths using Profile
Probe. Maize height and stover yield were assessed at tasselling while grain yield was
assessed at maturity, and Tephrosia biomass yield was assessed at three, six and eleven
months of growth. Soil bulk density, organic carbon and root biomass yield were assessed
at 11 months. In the second and third seasons, field mineral nitrogen and maize yield were
assessed. Highest soil moisture and maize yield were maintained with Wk2Tv60 in first
season. At three months in intercrops, total shrub biomass was significantly higher
(P<0.05) in Wk2Tv30 than the rest. Total shrub yields at eleven months in monoculture
plots were 2-6 times higher than intercrops. Mean shrub biomass increment, mean shrub
height increment and mean shrub diameter increment were significantly higher (P<0.05) in
Wk0Tv90 than the rest between six and eleven month assessments for intercrops. Soil
properties after eleven months did not consistently differ, but monoculture Tephrosia
showed superiority in most cases over intercrops. Maize yield was maximized with
fertilized monoculture Tephrosia, but unfertilized intercrops recorded 50 and 58 percent
increase over unfertilized TvO in second and third seasons, respectively. The study concludes that Tephrosia rclay-intcrcroppcd with maize can enhance sustainable maize
production in land-scarce semi arid areas and recommends further study on continuous
intercropping involving various provenances of Tephrosia.
Description
Keywords
Planting - Tephrosia, Spacing-Tephrosia, Soil moisture, Maize, Tephrosia biomass yield, Intercrops, Soil properties, Gairo, Tanzania