Effect of Integrating Chickpea and Organic Amendments on Yield and Quality Attributes of Tomato and Maize in Central Kenya
Journal Title: Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International - Year 2017, Vol 12, Issue 4
Abstract
A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of integrating chickpea on yield and quality attributes of tomatoes and maize under varying supply levels of farm yard manure (FYM) and phosphate rock (PR). The study was conducted both on-farm (farmer’s field in Kiserian, Kajiado County) and on-station at Kabete Campus field station, University of Nairobi, Kenya. The experimental design was a randomized complete block (RCBD) with four replications in a split plot arrangement where the main plots were three cropping systems; monocropping, intercropping and crop rotation and the split plots were FYM and PR. Crop yields, nutrients and physical attributes increased in the different treatments in the following order control < MRP < FYM in the three cropping systems across the four growing seasons at both sites. Tomato in season four in rotations with chickpea at Kabete had; FYM: 3.65% N, 597 ppm P, 3.95 Mg ha-1 fruit yield and 1.554 t ha-1 biomass, firm and >170g and 6cm. MRP: 3.09% N, 634 ppm P, 2.907 Mg ha-1 yield and 1.093 t ha-1 biomass, firm and >100 g and 3 cm. Control: 2.47% N, 533 ppm P, 2.149 Mg ha-1 fruit yield and 0.757 t ha-1, flaccid and <100 g and 3 cm. Monocrop gave; control: 2.17% N, 494 ppm P, 2.138 Mg ha-1 fruit yield and 0.697 t ha-1 biomass. FYM: 3.03% N, 587 ppm P, 3.59 Mg ha-1 fruit yield and 1.523 t ha-1 biomass. MRP: 2.56% N, 553 ppm P, 2.951 Mg ha-1 yield and 1.046 t ha-1 biomass. Similar trends were observed in maize and tomato performances in all the seasons at both sites. Thus it can be deduced that, FYM and MRP application and legume integration in cropping systems improve crop performance.
Authors and Affiliations
O. H. Ndukhu, N. R. Onwonga, G. R. Wahome, G. Kironch, H. H. Jensen
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP317235
- DOI 10.9734/JAERI/2017/16202
- Views 116
- Downloads 0
Marketing and Utilization of Irvingia Kernels ‘ogbono’ in Ado-Ekiti Metropolitan Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria
The study was carried out to determine the marketing channel, utilization and the marketing efficiency of Irvingia gabonensis and Irvingia wombolu kernels ‘ogbono’ in Ado-Ekiti Metropolitan Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria....
Effect of Environmental Factors on the Frequency and Density of Three Functional Groups of Woody Species in Ghana
How plant species are distributed in a given ecosystem is important for ecologists and conservationists because tropical forests are very diverse. This makes the question of what determines species commonness and rarity...
Emergence of Garlic (Allium sativum L.) as Influenced by Low Storage Temperature and Gibberellic Acid Treatments
The cost of garlic cloves together with inconsistent emergence due to dormancy issues which needs rest or dormant period of more than three months, has contributed to the reduction of garlic production cycle in a year. T...
Influence of Deficit Irrigation at Silking Stage and Genotype on Maize (Zea mays L.) Agronomic and Yield Characters
Maize is considered susceptible to drought stress, when occurs at flowering stage. Thus, the development of drought tolerant maize cultivars is of important priority for plant breeders. The objectives of the present stud...
Bioindicators: Study on Uptake and Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Plant Leaves of State Highway Road, Bagalkot, India
In this study, Caesalpinia (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) and grass (Cyndon dactylon) was evaluated as the bioindicators of heavy metals such as the Lead (Pb), Copper (Cu), Cadmium (Cd), Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), Chromium (C...