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Effect of alley cropping on soil, maize and mungbean grown under different maize spatial arrangements and mungbean spacings in south east Nigeria

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Abstract

Despite the importance of Allanblackia floribunda as a multipurpose tree grown in south east Nigeria, where small scale farmers retain some trees on their farm land for soil rejuvenation, there is a dearth of research information on intercropping the tree species with grain crops in the region. Field experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 cropping seasons in south eastern Nigeria to evaluate the effect of 2–3 years old Allanblackia floribunda alley systems on soil chemical properties and growth and yield of maize and mungbean. The experimental design was a factorial arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Standard labouratory procedures were used for the soil chemical properties while data on growth and yield were collected for maize and mungbean. All the data collected in the experiments were subjected to analysis of variance using GenStat Release 12.1. Before the commencement of first year double cropping and after two years of cropping, soil samples were collected from the respective plots and analysed for soil chemical properties. The maize experiment had two maize spatial arrangements grown between the tree alleys and in monocrop plots. After the harvest of maize, mungbean was introduced at two plant spacings of 30 × 20 cm and 20 × 20 cm. Soil phosphorus was significantly increased in Allanblackia tree alley than in the control by 55.6%. Soil pH, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium increased significantly with tree age. Maize under sole cropping intercepted higher photosynthetically active radiation than maize under alley cropping. Double row maize in both cropping systems produced taller plants in 2017 and greater leaf area index in both years than single row maize at 10 and 12 weeks after planting (WAP). Alley cropping with Allanblackia floribunda tree significantly reduced maize seed yield relative to double row maize in sole cropping. The wider spacing of 30 × 20 cm of mungbean significantly reduced average seed yield in alley cropping but increased number of pods per plant in the monocrop in 2017. In contrast, the 20 × 20 cm mungbean spacing in alley cropping produced comparable high seed yield as sole cropping in either of the two spacings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Humid Forest Research Station, Umuahia, Nigeria

    A. O. Koyejo

  2. Department of Agronomy, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria

    D. A. Okpara & B. A. C. Agugo

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  1. A. O. Koyejo
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  2. D. A. Okpara
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  3. B. A. C. Agugo
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Correspondence to A. O. Koyejo.

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Koyejo, A.O., Okpara, D.A. & Agugo, B.A.C. Effect of alley cropping on soil, maize and mungbean grown under different maize spatial arrangements and mungbean spacings in south east Nigeria. Agroforest Syst 97, 1337–1346 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-021-00635-5

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