Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Gore in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region during the 2016 cropping season to determine the effect of maize-soybean intercrop on Striga hermonthica seed bank, crop growth, and yield. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications on four drought-and-Striga-tolerant maize varieties intercropped with and without soybean variety Afayak. Treatments reduced the initial S. hermonthica seed bank with a minimum of 5% and a maximum of 26% for sole Omankwa and Wang data/Afayak respectively. At 12WAP, Omankwa, Aburohemaa, and Wang data intercrops promoted Striga emergence count and biomass production. Bihilifa /Afayak supported the tallest plant height of maize whilst sole Omankwa gave the shortest. Days to 50% flowering of maize varied significantly with Aburohemaa/Afayak, sole Omankwa and sole Bihilifa flowered early in 53 days whilst sole Aburohemaa flowered late in 56 days. Bihilifa/Afayak produced the highest cob weight whilst Omankwa/Afayak produced the lowest. The highest grain yield of maize was obtained with Wang data/Afayak of 1149kgha-1whilst sole Omankwa produced the lowest grain yield of 850kgha-1. Bihilifa/Afayak gave the highest grain yield of soybean whilst Omankwa /Afayak gave the lowest yield. The Afayak intercropped with any of the maize varieties could cause suicidal germination of Striga seeds, Striga seed bank depletion, and improved crop growth and increased yield.

Keywords: Striga hermonthica, seed bank depletion, resistant maize varieties,

Effect of maize-soybean intercrop on Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth seed bank, crop growth, and yield in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region, Ghana

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Authors

Amout, D. A.
Amout, D. A. is a research scholar at the the Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University for Development Studies, P. O. Box TL 1882, Tamale, Ghana.

Dzomeku, I. K.
Dzomeku, I. K. is a research scholar at the the Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University for Development Studies, P. O. Box TL 1882, Tamale, Ghana

Adu-Gyamfi R.
Adu-Gyamfi R. is a research scholar at the the Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University for Development Studies, P. O. Box TL 1882, Tamale, Ghana

Stella. O.
Stella. O. is a research scholar at the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Tamale, Ghana.

Tara W.
Tara W. is a research scholar at the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Tamale, Ghana.

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Amout, D.A., Dzomeku, I.K., Adu-Gyamfi R., Stella. O., and Tara W. (2023): Effect of maize-soybean intercrop on Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth seed bank, crop growth, and yield in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region, Ghana. 4(2), 18-34  https://doi.org/10.47721/ARJST20230402013