Effect of Intercropping with Maize on the Growth and Light Environment of Cowpea

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  • SHIKATA Kagari
    <I>Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University</I>
  • MATSUSHITA Yuhko
    <I>Department of Upland Farming, Tohoku National Agricultural Experiment Station</I>
  • NAWATA Eiji
    <I>Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University</I>
  • SAKURATANI Tetsuo
    <I>Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University</I>

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  • トウモロコシとの混作がササゲの生育と光環境に及ぼす影響

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Abstract

Field experiments were conducted to analyze the effect of intercropping with maize on the growth and light environment of cowpea and to evaluate the canopy photosynthetic rate in relation to the leaf area index (LAI), light interception and leaf net photosynthetic rate. Cowpea was grown as a sole crop at a row spacing of 70 cm (sole cropping, SC) or was intercropped with maize in alternating rows at a row spacing of 70 cm (intercropping-sparse, IC-S) and 35 cm (intercropping-dense, IC-D) . Dry weight, leaf area of cowpea and maize, and light intensity in canopy were measured by the stratified clip method at the intervals of three weeks. Leaf net photosynthetic rate of cowpea was determined to estimate the canopy photosynthetic rate. In IC-S, cowpea developed more leaves than in SC, although the plant population of cowpea in IC-S was half of that in SC. Superior light interception obtained by intercropping with maize led to an increase of the LAI with a decrease of the light extinction coefficient and resulted in a high canopy photosynthetic rate in IC-S. On the other hand, in IC-D, the canopy photosynthetic rate of cowpea decreased drastically due to mutual shading of cowpea leaves in the upper layer. These results indicated that cowpea productivity could be improved by intercropping with maize. This improvement may be achieved under a relatively sparse planting density.

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