YIELD AND RETURNS OF SUGARCANE (SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM) INTERCROPPING WITH HORTICULTURAL CROPS
GANA, A. K., BUSARI, L. D.
Abstract
Field trials were conducted to evaluate the yield
and returns of sugarcane inter-cropping with horticultural crops at the upland
sugarcane experimental field of the National Cereals Research Institute Farm
Badeggi (9° 45' N, 06° 07'E) in the Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria
in 1997 and 1998 dry seasons. The seven treatments tested consisted of sole
sugarcane (Bida Local or Ajax chewing cane), soles of watermelon (Citrus vulgaria
Var. Calabar), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. Labonita), Okra (Hibiscus
esculantus var. V.35) and their respective inter-cropped mixtures. The vegetables
were planted between 1.5minter-row spacing of sugarcane. The treatments were
laid out in a randomised complete block design with three replications.
The various parameters taken included the stand count for watermelon and tomato
at 4 weeks after planting (WAP) which showed a significant (F=0.05) increase.
Canes and vegetable crops maintained stable crop vigour throughout the growth
period and there was no significant difference in the fresh weight of fruits
of companion crops harvested from either the pure stands or in mixture with
cane. Companion crops however affected tillering in sugarcane as this was significantly
(P=0.05) reduced in the watermelon by over 100% compared to the sole cane plot.
This also adversely affected the number of chewable cane/plot and the cane yield
kg/ha at harvest. There were only slightly non-significant yield reductions
of component species at harvest.
On yield and economic returns, the highest gross return from each of the crop
(horticultural crops) was recorded from water melon whose market value was N449,955
and N451.504.84/ha from the mixture while N404.959.5 and N404,959.5/ha from
the pure plot in 1997 and 1998. The highest gross return of cane was from cane
inter-cropped with Okra with monetary value of N433,290 and N441,622.5/ha in
1997 and 1998.
Key words:
sugarcane, inter-cropping