Odion E.C., Yahaya R.A., Aliyu And L., Babaji B.A.
Department of Agronomy, Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria
Odion, E.C., Department of Agronomy, Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria; Yahaya, R.A., Department of Agronomy, Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria; Aliyu And, L., Department of Agronomy, Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria; Babaji, B.A., Department of Agronomy, Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria
A field trial was conducted at Samaru, Nigeria in the 1997 and 1998 cropping seasons to study the effect of rice (Oryza sativum L.) proportions and thinning levels on the performance of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and rice in mixed stands. Sorghum performed better in the drier year than in the wetter one, gave LER values that were lower than expected values except at the 1 : 3 and 1 : 1 stand proportions in 1997 and 1998, respectively. The sorghum crop was most stable at the 1 : 1 stand proportion and less aggressive than the rice crop in the mixed stands. The rice crop performed better in the wetter year than the drier (i. e. 1998 compared to 1997), gave LER values that were lower than expected except at the 1 : 1 and 1 : 4 stand proportions in 1997 and 1998, respectively. The rice crop gave stability values that were lower than expected at all the stand proportions and was more aggressive than the sorghum crop at all the stand proportions. The mixtures gave LER values that were either equal to or greater than 1.00 only at the 1:1 and 1:2 stand proportions; indicating that the mixture was only more efficient than the pure stands at the 1:1 stand proportion. It was also most stable at the 1:1 stand proportion; suggesting that the planting higher proportions of rice for the cash return from rice is detrimental to the mixture and to the food security of farmers in the area.