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Tomato though a day neutral crop, is predominantly cultivated during the cool dry harmattan partly due to low incidence of diseases and favourable low temperature. The scarcity of fresh tomato outside this season needs to be considered to meet the teeming demand of the populace. Knowledge of the nature of association between yield and its components is of great necessary in any breeding programme. It was against this background that a field experiment was conducted in 2008 and 2009 at Salam Farm of Ngaburari village of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State (Lat. 12°N and Long. 13°13'E) in the Semi-Arid Region of Nigeria to determine the relationship between yield and other agronomic parameters as affected by mulching and cultivars of tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum L. Karst) during the heat period to provide effective tool for breeders. The treatments consisted of five cultivars of tomato (Tandino, Danbaga, Roma VF, UC82B and Dansyria) and six grass mulch (Pennisetum pedicelatum Trin) levels (0 t/ha, 2.5 t/ha, 5 t/ha, 7.5 t/ha, 10 t/ha and 12.5 t/ha) which were laid out in a strip-plot design and replicated three times. The parameters studied include plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, leaf area index, number of branches per plant, days to first and 50 % flowering, number of fruits, weight of fruits per plant and yield in t/ha. Data collected were subjected to Correlation Analysis using Statistic 8.0 and the results of the combined years for cultivars indicated that total fruits yield was significantly and positively correlated with plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, leaf area index, days to first flowering and weight of fruits but significantly negatively correlated with days to 50 % flowering. Similarly, correlation of parameters as affected by mulch indicated significant and positive correlation of fruit yield with plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, leaf area index days to first flowering, number of fruits and weight of fruits but significantly negatively correlated with number of branches and days to 50 % flowering. Days to first flowering had significant positive correlation with days to 50 % flowering, number of fruits and weight of fruits both as affected by cultivar and mulch. Hence selection for high yield during heat period in the semi arid region of Nigeria should be based on earliness to flowering.

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Aims: To study the performance of watermelon in maize/watermelon intercrop under varied row arrangements and cow dung rates in a Sudan Savanna area. Study Design: Field-experimental design was used in this study. Place and Duration of Study: Field trials were carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of University of Maiduguri in Borno State, Nigeria during the 2014 and 2015 rainy seasons. Methodology: Field trials with treatments consisting of factorial combinations of three row arrangements of maize: watermelon (1:1, 1:2 and 2:1) and five levels of cow dung rates (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20t per ha) laid out in a split plot design and replicated three times. Cow dung was assigned to the main plots while row arrangements were assigned to the sub plots. The parameters of watermelon studied were: number of fruits per plant, fruit circumference, fruit length, fruits weight per plant and fruit yield per ha. Results: The results showed that number of fruits per plant and fruit yield per ha of watermelon were significantly greater at 1:2 row arrangement than the other planting patterns used. Application of 15t cow dung per ha was found to be maximum for number of fruits per plant and fruit yield per ha of watermelon. The interaction or combination of 1:2 row arrangement and 15t cow dung per ha was optimum for fruit yield per ha of watermelon. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, 1:2 row arrangement with application of 15t cow dung per ha should be adopted for production of watermelon in maize/watermelon intercrop in the Sudan Savanna agro-ecology.

Field trials were carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria during the 2014 and 2015 rainy seasons to study the performance of maize in maize/watermelon intercrop under varied row arrangements and cow dung rates in a Sudan Savanna Agro-ecology. The treatments consisted of factorial combinations of three row arrangements of maize: watermelon (1:1,1:2 and 2:1) and five levels of cow dung rates (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20t per ha) laid out in a split plot design and replicated three times. Cow dung was assigned to the main plots while row arrangements were assigned to the sub plots. The parameters of maize studied were: number of cobs per plant, cob length, cob diameter, 100 grain weight and grain yield per ha. The results showed that 1:2 row arrangement gave significantly greater cob diameter of maize. While 2:1 row arrangement gave significantly higher maize grain yield per ha. Application of 10t cow dung per ha to the mixture was found to be optimum for the maize grain yield per ha. The interaction or combination of 2:1 row arrangement and 10t cow dung per ha was optimum for the grain yield per ha. Based on the results of the present study, 2:1 row arrangement with application of 10t cow dung per ha should be adopted for growing of maize in intercrop with watermelon in the Sudan Savanna environment.

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Tomato though a day neutral crop, is predominantly cultivated during the cool dry harmattan partly due to low incidence of diseases and favourable low temperature. The scarcity of fresh tomato outside this season needs to be considered to meet the teeming demand of the populace. Knowledge of the nature of association between yield and its components is of great necessary in any breeding programme. It was against this background that a field experiment was conducted in 2008 and 2009 at Salam Farm of Ngaburari village of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State (Lat. 12°N and Long. 13°13’E) in the Semi-Arid Region of Nigeria to determine the relationship between yield and other agronomic parameters as affected by mulching and cultivars of tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum L. Karst) during the heat period to provide effective tool for breeders. The treatments consisted of five cultivars of tomato (Tandino, Danbaga, Roma VF, UC82B and Dansyria) and six grass mulch (Pennisetum pedicelatum Trin) levels (0 t/ha, 2.5 t/ha, 5 t/ha, 7.5 t/ha, 10 t/ha and 12.5 t/ha) which were laid out in a strip-plot design and replicated three times. The parameters studied include plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, leaf area index, number of branches per plant, days to first and 50 % flowering, number of fruits, weight of fruits per plant and yield in t/ha. Data collected were subjected to Correlation Analysis using Statistic 8.0 and the results of the combined years for cultivars indicated that total fruits yield was significantly and positively correlated with plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, leaf area index, days to first flowering and weight of fruits but significantly negatively correlated with days to 50 % flowering. Similarly, correlation of parameters as affected by mulch indicated significant and positive correlation of fruit yield with plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, leaf area index days to first flowering, number of fruits and weight of fruits but significantly negatively correlated with number of branches and days to 50 % flowering. Days to first flowering had significant positive correlation with days to 50 % flowering, number of fruits and weight of fruits both as affected by cultivar and mulch. Hence selection for high yield during heat period in the semi arid region of Nigeria should be based on earliness to flowering.