2019/06/13 by A. Diatta, Andre, Abaye, Ozzie, E. Thomason, Wade +6
#0 #Association culturale #Haricot Mungo #Intercropping #Mil #Millet #Mungbean #Rendement #Senegal #Yield
paper · doi:10.15454/t7gwax
Agricultural production in Senegal is constrained by rainfall variability, persistent droughts, and low soil fertility. These constraints have decreased pearl millet yield in Senegal. Mungbean, a short-duration and relatively drought-tolerant grain legume, is capable of improving soil fertility and increasing crop production. To investigate the potential of mungbean for increasing millet yield through intercropping, field experiments were conducted during the 2017 growing season in Bambey (Senegal). Intercropping treatments (sole millet (T1), sole mungbean (T2), and 23% (T3), 43% (T4), 47% (T5), 62% (T6), 125% (T7) et 164% (T8) of mungbean in sole millet) were laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated four times. Studied parameters included millet and mungbean yield parameters and combined yields, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), canopy cover, and land equivalent ratio (LER). Intercropping (millet + mungbean) did not significantly increase millet biomass or grain yield compared to millet alone. However, grain yield, number of pods and seeds, and plant height of mungbean plants were significantly higher in T7 and T8 compared to other treatments. Combined yields were also significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher (up to 56%) under millet – mungbean intercropping. Similarly, intercropping significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased LER and canopy cover (62%) over millet alone but not NDVI values. Results from this first-year suggest that intercropping with mungbean could sustain millet production through diversification of agricultural systems.