| Intercropping of maize with grain legumes is a stable cropping practice for most farmers in the tropics. For the practice to be successful, more information is needed on component plant density, canopy development and light flux. Field experiments were conducted in Gainesville, Florida (29;Plant height, DM accumulation, CGR, tillering, ear number per plant (ENP), kernel-row number per ear (KRNE), kernel number per-row (KNR), -ear (KNE), -plant and -unit area were significantly influenced by plant density. Weight per kernel (WK) per ear was not affected by plant density for ear 1. Intercrop soybean yield decreased reciprocally as maize density increased. Leaf area index, DM accumulation, and CGR of the two soybean cultivars were significantly reduced by both intercropping and increasing maize density. Land equivalent ratio and ATER for TWAPD were generally greater than for CPD. It is concluded that there is a "critical maize density" (CDm/s25) which suppressed intercrop soybean yield by at least 75% and differed with soybean cultivars and density. Constant plant density (CPD) concept underestimates the intercrop density combination and the productivity of the intercropping, compared to TWAPD. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.). |
