Intercropping Pearl Millet and Soybeans at Various Row Spacings, Seeding Rates, and Cropping Patterns
Jones, Vernon Lewis
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/71575
Description
Title
Intercropping Pearl Millet and Soybeans at Various Row Spacings, Seeding Rates, and Cropping Patterns
Author(s)
Jones, Vernon Lewis
Issue Date
1982
Department of Study
Agronomy
Discipline
Agronomy
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Agriculture, Agronomy
Abstract
A study was conducted to evaluate the influence of intercropping pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides (Burm. F.) Stapf and C. E. Hubb.) and soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), a nitrogen fixing species, at various row spacings, seeding rates, and cropping patterns. Pearl millet and soybeans were grown at three row spacings (25, 51, 76 cm), three seeding rates (11, 22, and 34 kg/ha), and three cropping patterns: PM--Pearl millet seeded in a pure stand; SB + PM--Pearl millet and soybeans seeded in alternate rows; SPM--Pearl millet and soybeans in the same row.
Dry matter yields, protein content, and dry matter digestibility were determined on above ground plant parts (herbage) to evaluate the effects of intercropping these two species.
Dry matter yields were lower in the wider rows as a result of greater within-row plant competition than in the narrower row spacings. Wider rows had more plants per meter of row, thus there was more competition for light, nutrients, and water between individual plants in the wider rows than in the narrower rows. The higher yield of pearl millet grown alone compared to growing with soybeans is attributed to the higher forage yield potential of pearl millet. Intercropping soybeans into or with pearl millet established a competition for nutrients, light and water by a lower productive plant (soybeans) at the sacrifice of the higher productive plant (pearl millet).
The protein content of pearl millet was greater where intercropped with soybeans than where grown alone. Among the intercropped patterns, the protein content of pearl millet was greater where pearl millet and soybeans were grown in the same rows. Growing the two species in the same rows enabled pearl millet plants to obtain more symbiotically fixed nitrogen from the soybeans than when pearl millet and soybeans were spaced apart in separate rows.
The digestibility of pearl millet herbage tended to be highest when pearl millet and soybeans were grown in the same rows. Pearl millet herbage growth was probably stimulated by nitrogen received from the soybeans, which delayed maturity of pearl millet plants. The digestibility of dry matter of peal millet is known to decrease with increasing plant maturity.
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