Effect of Population Density and Spatial Arrangements of Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp) on Productivity of Maize-Pigeon pea Intercropping

A field experiment was conducted to determine the effect of pigeon pea spatial arrangement and population density on the productivity of maize-pigeon pea intercropping. Treatments were consisted of two pigeon pea spatial arrangements and three population densities of pigeon pea using randomized complete block design with three replications. Spatial arrangement and population densities had significant influence on pigeon pea grain yield. Higher grain yield was obtained from the highest pigeon pea plant population density and 1:2 spatial arrangement (3.90 t/ha, 0.73 t/ha for maize and 3.74 t/ha, 0.75 t/ha for pigeon pea). Number of seeds/cob and biomass yield of maize were not significantly affected by pigeon pea spatial arrangement and population densities. The interaction effect of pigeon pea spatial arrangement and population density had a significant effect on maize biomass yield. The highest interaction effect on biomass yield was obtained from the lowest pigeon pea population density with 1:2 arrangements. Land use efficiency and monetary return was increased by increasing plant density and pigeon pea rows. Total LER of 1.16 and 1.24 was received from 1:2 and 250,000 plants ha-1. Under pigeon pea spatial arrangement of 1:2 and population density of 125,000 and 250,000 plants ha-1 maize-pigeon pea intercropping was found to be advantageous. The highest monetary return was also obtained from these treatments of 1:2 and 250,000 plants ha-1(28185 ETB ha-1 and 28106 ETB ha-1). Intercropping maize-pigeon pea gave a gross monetary advantage of 75% and 21% of their respective sole crops of maize and pigeon pea.